What is Sleep Apnea? Telltale Signs You Should See a Physician
If you’re struggling with air restrictions when sleeping, it may be an early sign. But there are other symptoms that may help you determine whether you should see a physician for proper diagnoses.
The Mayo Clinic defines sleep apnea as: “A potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.”
We created Monthly CPAP Club to help you get a better night’s sleep. Just choose the mask you like from today’s leading brands, and we’ll add free filters, tubing and a cushion with free shipping for a set monthly fee. Put your CPAP on autopilot and get the supplies you need delivered every 3 months for proper sleep apnea hygiene. It’s that easy!
There are several types of sleep apnea.
These include: Obstructive sleep apnea, when the throat muscles relax to much for regular breathing; Central sleep apnea, when the brain isn’t properly controlling breathing while you seep; and Complex sleep apnea syndrome, a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.
As a reminder, any advice you read in this blog is meant to be informative only. Nothing can replace the guidance of a licensed medical professional when treating any form of a medical ailment.
With that said, however, here are several signs and symptoms of sleep apnea that you should be aware of:
Snoring
One of the most common sleep apnea symptoms is snoring. Snoring is caused by vibrations occurring in the upper respiratory airway, typically as a result of a blockage (minor or major). When restricted air passes through these airways, it vibrates and results in an audible snore.
While snoring isn’t always directly linked to sleep apnea, in some cases it’s a discernible sign. In either case, a chronic snorer should talk to their doctor or dentist because new noninvasive treatments are available that will give their partner peace of mind when sleeping. If the snoring is caused by sleep apnea, there are ample treatment options as well.
Intermittent Breathing
Another key sign of sleep apnea is intermittent breathing. Since sleep apnea is sometimes caused by obstructions, such as fatty tissue deposits on the esophagus, it can result in intermittent breathing, shallow or forced breaths and overall restricted airflow. In some cases, the person may even stop breathing for several seconds, causing a decrease in blood oxygen levels, often resulting in the person waking up gasping for air.
In many cases, the person will wake up to correct the breathing pattern, only to fall asleep and repeat the process. In a typical evening of rest, sleep apnea events can occur as many as 40 times in the average sufferer. Oddly enough, in less severe conditions, the sufferer may experience hundreds of events that they are unaware of.
Lack of Energy
One of the most common signs of sleep apnea is lethargy. Since the sufferer is constantly waking up to correct their breathing patterns, the brain is rarely entering Rapid Eye Movement (REM), the period of rest where the brain recharges and the body regenerates the most. A resulting daytime symptom often occurs called Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), where the person suffers from lethargy as a result.
People who suffer from EDS require frequent naps, are less productive at work and can even be a danger behind the wheel or when operating heavy machinery. If you notice these types of symptoms in your daily routine, make sure you consult with your physician for medical guidance and to determine if sleep apnea is the culprit.
Headaches
Neurologists say that any headache is unusual. So, if you find that you are suffering from them daily, particularly in the morning, and you have other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, they may be related. But why?
Because the improper blood oxygen levels caused by sleep apnea reduces the amount of oxygen that is reaching your brain when you sleep. This causes the blood vessels to widen, with a common side effect of a mild to severe headache.
Hypertension
What is hypertension? It’s a fancy medical term for high blood pressure. And guess what? It has a direct link to sleep apnea. It’s caused for the very same reason why sleep apnea can give you headaches: widening blood vessels as a result of lack of direct oxygenation.
During sleep apnea events, blood pressure rises, eventually spiking, and then calming down again during the day as you breathe normally.
Obesity
If you are struggling with obesity, sleep apnea may be one of the underlying factors. Naturally, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are keys to maintaining a proper Body Mass Index (BMI). But did you know that sleep apnea and obesity are also linked?
Excessive fatty tissues in the body are one of the key causes of restricted airflow. When these tissues exist around the upper respiratory area (throat and neck), they can become contributing factors to decreased airflow. Experts say that neck areas spanning greater than 17” for men and 16” for women can cause restrictions in the airways during sleep, sometimes resulting in sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Isn't Fun!
There are no ifs, ands or butts about it: sleep apnea isn’t fun. But just because you may suffer from this disorder doesn’t mean there isn’t a more convenient way to treat it. Take a look around our website. Answer a few easy questions. Select your preferred brand of mask, tubes and accessories. Pay one low, set monthly fee and get all the CPAP supplies you need delivered to your front door!
Sure, sleep apnea is annoying. But we can help you sleep better. Click and order today and Leave The Rest to Us™!
F.A.Q.
Monthly CPAP Club is a new approach to delivering a regular and scheduled shipment of all your CPAP supplies for one low monthly cost.
We charge you a small monthly free and deliver a fresh CPAP mask, tubes, filters and cushions to your door every 3 months.
We work with the major manufacturers to provide a selection of the most popular CPAP masks, cushions, tubing, filters and other accessories.
You get one shipment with all the CPAP supplies you’ll need for the next three months and you just pay one low, monthly payment.
Monthly CPAP Club lets you know when it’s time to change your filters, clean your mask and tubing. Three months after your first order, we’ll let you know (via email) that it’s time to replace your CPAP supplies, and we will ship out a package with a replacement mask, tubing, and filters for your CPAP machine, all including in your monthly fee.
Every package allows you to choose your preferred style of CPAP mask and the brand, make and model you prefer. You have the choice of standard tubing or heated tubing. You have the option for extended tubing options with heated tubing. Every package also includes cushions for the mask and filters for your machine
We need to know which CPAP breathing machine you use so we can send you the correct filters. Filters are specific to machines.
If you don’t see your CPAP breathing machine model listed, please contact us at sales@monthlycpapclub.com. Please include the make and model of CPAP breathing machine you use.
We do support many machines. The most popular machines are listed right now and more will be added as we grow.
In the mean time, let us know which machines you use so we get you the correct filters.
Monthly CPAP Club currently offers Resmed, Respironics, and Fisher & Paykel CPAP products. We can accommodate certain other brands when requested by email. Please let us know by emailing us at sales@monthlycpapclub.com or submit a request online.
Our goal at Monthly CPAP Club is to offer all the necessary CPAP supplies for good sleep hygiene in simple, scheduled quarterly shipments.
We want the program to be even easier for the end user to afford with a monthly payment.
When you sign up for a package with Monthly CPAP Club, you will be charged the monthly package amount ranging from $30 and up, depending on your preferences.
We will ship out a package within 1 business day of your order with all the CPAP supplies you’ll need to properly treat your sleep apnea with clean and effective supplies.
The next scheduled shipment for your account will commence 3 months after your initial first shipment. We’ll send you an email your next delivery is on the way.
The best part about Monthly CPAP Club for those living with sleep apnea is that CPAP supplies are one less thing you’ll have to regularly order, schedule or pick up. We ship you the supplies you’ll need for the next three months and ship you another package in three months will all new and fresh CPAP supplies.
We do sell most of the popular and newest CPAP machines. Although we do not list many of the machines on our Monthly CPAP Club site, we can process orders for machines via email for existing subscribers and over the phone for new users.
Join The Club
Getting started is easy. Just click the button below. Choose your supplies, customize your plan and we’ll send your CPAP supplies straight to you! So take a load off and leave the rest to us!