Do you typically feel sleepy, tired or fatigued? There is a good chance that you could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea; this is a fairly common sleep disorder that many people. There are literally millions of people who suffer with obstructive sleep apnea disorder. It is important that people realize how serious this problem can be. If left unchecked, significant health problems may occur and possibly even death.

So, what exactly is obstructive sleep apnea and what causes it? There can be many reasons for the disorder, but the most common reason is an obstruction of the airway, or closed airways. This can keep the person from getting a good night’s sleep. If you think that you may have obstructive sleep apnea, it is important that you talk to your doctor to discuss this disorder. It is not just your quality of life that is suffering, but you could be putting your health in danger as well as your life.

Your doctor will probably give you a referral to have a complete sleep study conducted in order to accurately diagnose your condition and will probably prescribe a special sleep apnea machine for you to use. Why should you use this sleep apnea machine? One good reason is that it is often the most effective method of treatment available for sleep apnea. Very often patients will be prescribed a sleep apnea machine that they will use at night. These machines are designed to literally blow air right into the person’s airway to help keep it opened and provide the patient with a restful nights sleep.

Although the machine is very effective, there can be some uncomfortable side effects to using it. Some of the more common side effects include nasal irritation and the discomfort of additional pressure. Another common complaint with some patients is a feeling of claustrophobia, they feel boxed in and uncomfortable. Using the machine regularly will often times help alleviate these symptoms or make them more tolerable. On a few rare occasions, a patient will not be able to tolerate using a sleep apnea machine. Some doctors may recommend that their patients take on a more invasive treatment. This of course, would mean having to undergo surgery to help alleviate the problem. While surgery is not the right solution for everyone, it is definitely an alternative for people who can not use the sleep apnea machines. As always, your doctor is in the best position to make the determination of what course of treatment is right for you.

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