Fortunately for sleep apnea sufferers there are solutions. In fact, there are more sleep apnea devices available now than ever before. In this article, we’re going to explore some of these devices, how they work, and the benefits they provide.

Sleep apnea is defined as “a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.” These interruptions of sleep are referred to as apneas. They generally span a period of ten seconds or more and can take place any number of times throughout the course of a night. Those who suffer from sleep apnea often wake throughout the night as a result of their struggles to catch their breath. Often, they will have no recollection of these events.

The CPAP Machine

The most common of the sleep apnea devices is the CPAP machine. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of sleep apnea therapy that creates a steady stream of air flow into the lungs in order to make it possible for “uninterrupted breathing and unobstructed airways during sleep.”

This is accomplished with the use of a CPAP machine and a mask worn over the face. The CPAP machine pumps a consistent flow of air into the mask, which keeps your throat open throughout the night. The result is a reduction of snoring, which is often one of the most common signs of sleep apnea.

A CPAP sleep apnea device should be used whenever you sleep, even for naps. And while a CPAP device will generally reduce the number of apneas throughout the night, it does not cure sleep apnea. It simply allows for a better night’s sleep, with more REM sleep. The lack of REM sleep can be one of sleep apnea’s most destructive results.

Some people have difficulty with CPAP devices. They find them too noisy or too uncomfortable, or in some cases they wake up with a dry, stuffy nose every morning (there are sleep apnea devices equipped with a heated humidifier that can minimize this last problem).

The Oral Appliance

The next of the most common sleep apnea devices is the oral appliance. Originally, oral appliances were designed to decrease the incidence of snoring and they did an excellent job. However, with improvements in their design they’ve also become helpful for those who suffer from mild to moderate forms of sleep apnea.

There are a variety of oral devices available. Two of the most popular include the splint and the mandibular advancement device (MAD). The splint keeps the tongue in a particular position throughout the night. By so doing, it allows the air passage to remain open and clear.

The mandibular advancement device (MAD) looks similar to the sports mouth guards that athletes wear for protection. This apparatus forces the lower jaw in a backward direction, which allows for plenty of room for air flow. This encourages you to sleep on your back. It also improves the flow of air into and out of the lungs (although this is less the case for those who suffer from severe sleep apnea).

The oral appliance and the CPAP machine are two of the most common sleep apnea devices. They are also two of the most effective devices. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, ask your doctor about the best treatments for you in your particular situation.

David Silva is the webmaster for sleepapneainsights.com Sleep Apnea Insights, a website dedicated to sharing information about sleep apnea, sleepapneainsights.com/sleep-apnea-devices.html sleep apnea devices, sleep apnea treatments, and more.

Tags: sleep, sleep disorder

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Fibromyalgia is a syndrome (fibromyalgia syndrome, or FMS), or a cluster of problems. People who have fibromyalgia suffer with pain, either all over or in particular places, have sleeping problems, are overwhelmingly tired and may have many other symptoms.

Five to ten per cent of the population has fibromyalgia. Most of them are women, but men and children do experience the symptoms, too.

Pain is the most distinguishing characteristic of fibromyalgia. Medically, it’s described as generalized musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness. For the pain to be diagnosed as fibromyalgia, it has to be present in all four body quadrants (arms and legs) for at least 3 months, and there has to be pain when pressure is applied to at least 11 of the 18 identified trigger points.

That’s the medical description. Here is how people with fibromyalgia describe it.

“I can hardly move because of the pain I’m in. I’m fighting to stay mobile.”

“There is no way to describe the pain. You live with it on a daily basis.”

“What people don’t realize is that I am in pain all the time, every day.”

“Sometimes you think, no big deal, it’s just pain. It’s not life threatening. Sometimes you wish it was. At least there’d be an end in sight.”

The pain waxes and wanes, varying in intensity. People have good days and bad days. Some days it’s not too bad; some days it’s pretty much disabling. The pain of fibromyalgia often gets worse on cold or humid days, when you haven’t slept well, when you are too inactive or too active, when you are stressed or when your hormones change.

The second most disabling characteristic of fibromyalgia is fatigue. Recent findings suggest that the fatigue is due to a stage four sleep disorder called alpha EEG anomaly. During deep stage four sleep, the brain has bursts of awake-like activity, so there is not enough undisturbed deep sleep for the body to get sufficient rest.

In addition to alpha EEG anomaly, many FMS sufferers also have sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep), limb movement and jerking and restless leg syndrome. All of these contribute to the fatigue of fibromyalgia.

Again, this is how fibromyalgia sufferers describe their fatigue.

“The fatigue is worse than the pain.”

“Some days going to the bathroom feels like a ten-mile hike.”

“On bad days, all I can do is turn on the TV for the kiddies and veg with them.”

Pain and fatigue are the most disabling features of fibromyalgia, but there are other distressing symptoms, too. 40-70 per cent of fibromyalgia sufferers experience irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems. Constipation and diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive gassiness, nausea and gastroesophageal reflux are common.

Many fibromyalgia sufferers are distressed by associated mental and emotional problems that manifest themselves alongside the physical ailments. Anxiety and depression are common. It’s not known whether they are independent factors, or if they are related to living in constant pain and fatigue and the social stigma of fibromyalgia. People also complain of confusion, experiencing difficulty thinking clearly and a reduction in ability to perform mental tasks. This overall mental fogginess has been termed “fibro fog.”

Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include headaches, restless leg syndrome, skin sensitivity and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, Reynaud’s syndrome, and various neurological problems.

Fibromyalgia is an invisible disease. Sufferers look fine on the surface. However, under their outward appearance they are often exhausted and in excruciating pain. Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that is, at its worst, incredibly disabling. The symptoms have to be managed, and even then the pain and fatigue wax and wane. It’s a difficult disease to live with, but it’s not hopeless. Medical care and lifestyle management can make a big difference in how you feel if you are suffering from fibromyalgia.

Jane Thompson also writes a Free Autism newsletter in which you can discover how to manage the symptoms od Fibromyalgia. Sign up here: eliminatefibromyalgia.com/?source=ez Free Fibromyalgia Newsletter, you can also find more fibro resources here eliminatefibromyalgia.com/fibromyalgia.html?source=ez Fibromyalgia Resources
or visit our fibromyalgia blog eliminatefibromyalgia.com/blog/2006/09/06/fibromyalgia-symptoms-explained/ Fibromyalgia Symptoms Blog.

Tags: anxiety, sleep, sleep disorder

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It’s easy to immediately think of insomnia when one hears of the term sleep disorder. A lot of people may not know though that sleep apnea is also an equally distressing sleep disorder. The best way to secure oneself from the threat of apnea is to recognize a sleep apnea symptom.

Dangers of Sleep Apnea

The reason why one should be able to recognize a sleep apnea symptom is because it is a potentially life threatening condition. Aside from exhausting the body and retarding your functions, sleep apnea could lead to more serious conditions such as stroke, heart disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease to name just a few.

There are three types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is when the brain fails to signal breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is when the muscles in the air passage collapses or becomes blocked by tissues that prevent air from getting through. The third type is a mix of the two major apnea types. Although they may have their differences, they may share a similar sleep apnea symptom or two.

Symptoms

It is believed that the most common sleep apnea symptom is snoring. This sleep apnea symptom may begin immediately after falling asleep and can grow louder as sleep progresses. It has since been discovered though that sleep apnea may still occur even without this common sleep apnea symptom. It is also possible that one may be a loud snorer without necessarily having an apnea condition.

It is logical to therefore conclude that the cessation of breathing is a more determining sleep apnea symptom. Aside from this obvious sleep apnea symptom, an individual could also gasp and choke while asleep and may eventually wake up dazed and confused. Daytime sleepiness is an insomnia symptom that may also point to a sleep apnea condition.

Accompanying Conditions

It may also be a good idea to look for a sleep apnea symptom among the conditions caused by apnea itself. A person suffering from this condition could end up being depressed because apnea causes either light sleep or wakefulness that in turn causes tiredness and irritability.

Importance of an Observer

Often times, a person with a sleep apnea symptom doesn’t know that he has it himself. After all, a sleeping person cannot know what goes on during sleep. The responsibility of first noticing an apnea condition therefore falls on the shoulders of housemates or bed mates. Once a symptom like cessation of breathing becomes obvious a person who is believed to have apnea should be brought to a specialist for proper diagnosis. Housemates should also take note of personality changes brought about by disturbed sleep.

Treatment

It is believed that surgery may only be 50% successful in treating sleep apnea. It may help though for people who have the condition clearly because of enlarged tissues or tonsils. Surgery is generally a last resort treatment for people with apnea. Other medical procedures and treatments are first attempted before surgery is considered. What is important is to seek for expert advice instead of attempting to solve the condition on your own.

Get more of Patricia Hammond’s herbalsleepaid.info/melatrol-reducing-stress-through-sleep.html sleep apnea symptom and other sleep disoreder remedies at

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A adderal headache is a common side affect of the drug adderal. This drug is a combination of the drugs dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. Adderal is prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, which is a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. adderal is a central nervous system stimulant. It will increase attention and decrease restlessness in people who are overactive, who are unable to concentrate for a long period of time and who may have unstable emotions. adderal in also highly addictive and should be used cautiously.

How exactly does adderal work and why do you sometimes get an adderal headache? It is a combination of chemicals that are central nervous system stimulants. These stimulants will block dopamine transporters in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with emotional response and the capacity to feel pleasure or pain. If the dopamine transporter is blocked that means that higher than normal levels of dopamine are found in the brain. Dopamine can act as a stimulant to the headache process, therefore causing a headache.

An adderal headache is just one of many side effects that can occur while taking adderal. Tell your doctor if you experience any of the side effects listed below, especially if they become severe or do not go away.

Nervousness or restlessness

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Uncontrollable shaking of any part of the body

Changes in sex drive or ability

Dry mouth

Stomach pain

Nausea and vomiting

Diarrhea or constipation

Loss of appetite and weight loss

Bad taste in your mouth

There are some side effects from adderal that should be reported immediately to your doctor because they may be life threatening. They are:

Fast or pounding heartbeat

Shortness of breath or chest pain

Excessive tiredness

Slow or difficult speech

Dizziness or faintness

Weakness or numbness of an arm or a leg

Seizures

Mood changes

Motor tics or verbal tics

Psychosis (loss of contact with reality)

Hallucinating

Mania

Aggressive or hostile behavior

Changes in vision or blurred vision

Fever Blisters, hives, rash and itching

Swelling of the face, eyes and tongue or throat

Difficulty breathing or swallowing

Hoarseness

If you are experiencing adderal headaches, talk to your doctor about possibly changing your medication or lowering your dose of adderal. If this is not an option, talk to him about treatment for the headaches. Find out what his recommendations are for headache pain control. There are things that you can do at home also to lessen your risk of adderal headaches. First, get plenty of quality sleep. Try to go to bed and awaken at the same time every day, including weekends. Try to devote at least eight hours to sleep every night. Drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated. Eat healthy and stay away from caffeine. If you must take adderal, do so under the careful guidance of your doctor. Together you can control your adderal headaches.

Do you want to learn more about how to alleviate various types of headaches? I have just completed my brand new guide to headache prevention, ‘99 Everyday Secrets for Treating (and Preventing) Headaches‘

Download it free here:

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