Obstructive Sleep Apnea: the Not-so-silent-assassin

Author: Dr Rick Donald

| Posted: 27-03-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 37 | Rating: (74)

(?)

Related Videos

Play

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Monita Mendiratta MD Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship:Children'Hospital of...

Play

How to Deal Sleep Apnea

If you're tired all day despite sleeping all night, you may be...

Play

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Monita Mendiratta MD Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship:Children'Hospital of...

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (or O.S.A. for short) is about as bad as it gets. People may joke about it, but O.S.A. is certainly no laughing matter because it can kill you. And according to the Mayo Clinic, up to 1 in 4 Americans suffer from this deadly health concern.

Now this is a really worrying statistic to say the least.

Unfortunately O.S.A. sufferers can be totally unaware of their condition until their sleeping partner or someone who sleeps within ear shot tells them. If this sounds like you, the only indicator that you may notice is feeling tired all the time during the day.

So what exactly is O.S.A.? It refers to a breathing complication where respiration totally stops during sleep for a period of 20 seconds or more. You can experience up to 300 of these apniac events each night. They severely reduce your body’s ability to oxygenate your blood, forcing your heart to pump harder than it should to maintain equilibrium.

Prolonged nightly apniac events can then cause an enlargement of your heart, with the probability of associated cardio-vascular disorders such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and irregular heart beat.

And what causes O.S.A.? It occurs when your tongue, uvula and/or soft palate collapse into the back of your throat when you sleep, blocking your airways so you can’t breath. As your airways narrow even further, you start to snore loudly, then your body violently gasps for air as breathing totally stops, and your nightly dice with death continues as the cycle repeats itself. No wonder O.S.A. sufferers wake feeling absolutely exhausted!

Most at risk are unfit, middle aged, overweight males who have a thick neck and pot belly. They often have a family history of the condition and may have a sluggish thyroid. Unfortunately, even if you don't fit into this category you can still suffer from O.S.A., so if you have any concerns in this regard, check them out with your healthcare advisor.

Now the good news is that O.S.A. is a manageable condition. If you feel that you do suffer from this worrying health concern, have it checked out first to determine if you need to use a CPAP breathing machine, then look at your diet and lifestyle choices before you waste time and money on any other stop snoring treatments.

It’s important here to always remember that you are what you eat. Whilst it’s unlikely that dietary and lifestyle changes will totally cure your O.S.A., they certainly have the power to overcome some of the contributing factors that may be causing or worsening your Sleep Apnea so that its incidence and frequency reduces.

Dr Rick Donald is the author of 'Essential Stop Snoring Secrets'. To find out more information about his book, visit http://www.stopmysnoringnow.com/stopsnoring.html

Rate this Article:

Current: 5 / 5 stars - 1 vote(s).

Article Tags: Snoring, Sleep Apnea, Snoring Remedies, Stop Snoring, Snoring Treatment, Snoring Cure, Snoring Exercises, Child Snoring, Partner Snoring, Snoring Obesity, Husband Snoring, Wife Snoring, Natural Snoring Remedy, Snoring Tips, Stop Snoring Help, Stop My Snoring

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/obstructive-sleep-apnea-the-notsosilentassassin-371040.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

Dr Rick Donald is an Australian based Doctor with a specialty in Clinical Nutrition.

For the past 15 years, Dr Rick has been successfully practicing a unique amalgam of Western and Eastern medicine in his Melbourne clinic.

He is an Australian Government registered Doctor of Chinese Medicine (Reg. A/0120), Clinical Nutritionist, Medical Herbalist and Naturopath.

As part of continuing studies, Dr Rick spent considerable time in 1999 studying and working in the public hospital system in Nanning, China.

Whilst in China, he studied and consulted in two separate major hospitals, along with being seconded to help treat members of the Chinese Olympic team.

Dr Rick is an established author, with seven books and countless articles to his credit. His views on nutritional medicine are well respected and Dr Rick is regularly quoted by the media in Australia.

An expanded biography of Dr Rick Donald is available by referring to the link http://www.stopmysnoringnow.com/aboutus.html

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

I Snore, My Partner Hates it and I Feel Like Crap Each Morning
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep

Amnesty International Categorizes Sleep Deprivation as Torture ... My Child Tortures Me Every Night
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep

Stop Snoring Exercises for the Sleep Deprived
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep

Australian Doctor Discovers the Missing Link Between Food Consumption and Snoring
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep

Do I Have Sleep Apnea?
By: Patricia Woloch | 26/03/2008 | Sleep

Frequently Asked Questions About Snoring
By: Heather Colman | 13/07/2006 | Advertising
Advertising Articles, Advertising is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy.

Types of Sleep Apnea
By: Lynn Fugaro | 20/12/2007 | Sleep

Best Anti Snoring Devices You Can Get in the Market
By: Jack D. Son | 04/04/2008 | Sleep

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

Breathing problem
By: The Bonster | 16-08-2008
Looking for causes for crackling noise when breathing out (not breathing in). Not rales.

Good knee go bad ,favoring other why
By: James Robertson | 16-08-2008
good knee go bad ,favoring other why

What should the calorie intake be for a man 5"8 ...
By: dizzylizzy | 15-08-2008
What should the calorie intake be for a man 5"8 168-170 lbs. he wants to lose like 10-15 lbs.

Does anyone know the name of a drink that is ...
By: sfgirl | 15-08-2008
Does anyone know the name of a drink that is supposed to curb an appetite? I have seen 2 guys on tv advertise this drink, but can't remember their names. Thanks.

Back top of thigh pain
By: mof29212 | 14-08-2008
back pain which goes around to top of thigh. MRI of lower back and hip showed nothing. Been through ptherapy. do have arthritis. Bloodwork ok sed rate 15. what is wrong? where do I go from here? desperate for answers

Does alternative medicine really work?
By: MackTheKnife | 14-08-2008
Lately I've been feeling a bit run down, and someone suggested that I should try some alternative medicine remedies. I'm not too keen on it, as I don't really believe in all that stuff. I'd really like to hear from people who have tried alternative remedies, and what kind of results they had. What worked and what didn't

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Sleep Articles

Alternative Practices and Techniques to Help Cure Numerous Sleep Disorders
By: daveclark | 09/10/2008
As an alternative approach, most people use herbs and natural supplements to treat their sleep disorders. With the use of exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and breathing exercise, you can reduce the mental tension and stress tremendously

Basic Difference Between Memory Foam Mattresses and Latex Foam Mattresses
By: daveclark | 09/10/2008
Memory foam mattress can really be of great relief for those who are suffering from backache and chronic fatigue. Patients of chronic fatigue are simply written off as slothful and hypochondriacs

How to Make Your Home a Special Sleep Zone
By: Janet Martin | 08/10/2008
Studies show that over 50% of hotel guests find it harder to sleep in a hotel than in their home. To address this problem and in an effort to be more competitive, more and more hotels in the United States are trying to create an ideal sleeping environment for their patrons.

Easy Guide to Non-prescription Sleep Aids
By: Isabel Tay | 08/10/2008
You’re struggling with sleeplessness but you want to avoid starting prescription sleeping medications. Know your options about non prescription sleep aids with the fast facts here.

Otc Sleep Aids: 5 Real Reasons Why They are Popular
By: Isabel Tay | 08/10/2008
Why do OTC sleep aids continue to be popular alternatives to improved prescription sleeping medications? Here are the 5 main reasons observed for their popularity.

Guide to 5 Popular Natural Sleep Aids for Children
By: Isabel Tay | 08/10/2008
Now you feel it’s time to try a children sleep aid. But you will only settle for those that are natural so as not to harm your children. Here’s a fast and easy guide to 5 popular natural sleep aids for children.

Children Sleep Aids: Helpful Facts You Probably Don't Know
By: Isabel Tay | 08/10/2008
You feel guilty that you might have to resort to children sleep aids. Or you’re at your wits end with trying all those sleeping techniques. Here are some helpful facts you probably don’t know about how and when children sleep aids are being used.

Muscle Pains Lead to Sleeplessness
By: daveclark | 07/10/2008
People suffering from the problem of chronic muscle pain medically known as Fibromyalgia are of the say that they have trouble falling asleep and if they happen to get a wink, they wake up again due to severe pain in the muscles

More from Dr Rick Donald

Stop Snoring Exercises for the Sleep Deprived
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep
Just 10 minutes every day of of specific mouth, jaw and neck exercises may be enough to put a help put a stop to your snoring racket for good!

Amnesty International Categorizes Sleep Deprivation as Torture ... My Child Tortures Me Every Night
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep
Snoring in children is a major health issue that if not addressed at an early stage can inflict a lifetime of poor health and a reduced life expectancy on the child. This is not a legacy that we as parents want to leave our children with.

I Snore, My Partner Hates it and I Feel Like Crap Each Morning
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep
Do you need some help with your snoring problem? In this article, Dr Rick Donald teaches you some simple dietary and lifestyle changes that have the power to stop your snoring for good.

Australian Doctor Discovers the Missing Link Between Food Consumption and Snoring
By: Dr Rick Donald | 27/03/2008 | Sleep
In a just-released book, Dr Rick Donald, an Australian Clinical Nutritionist, has established a positive link between certain food and drink combinations and a person’s propensity to snore. This comes as welcome news to many chronic snorers and their partners, as this worrying and growing health concern currently disturbs the sleep of up to 50 % of all adults in the West today.

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (4.45, 17)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: the Not-so-silent-assassin

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Sleep Articles

More from Dr Rick Donald

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter