Natural Remedies for Migraines and Headaches

Do you suffer from constant headaches or migraines? If you do, you may be looking to seek relief. A lot of Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients complain of migraines and sinus pressure. With that being said, even if you only occasionally suffer from headaches or migraines, you may still be seeking fast relief, but in a natural way. For natural ways to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with migraines and headaches, please continue reading on.

Grapes are a great and natural way to seek relief from a headache or a migraine. When it comes to using grapes to seek relief, there are a number of different steps that can be taken. For natural consumption, just eat a bowlful of ripe grapes. Another approach involves just drinking the juice, as the juice is what provides the relief. With this approach, squish or grind a few grapes and drink the juice.

In keeping with what is consumed, it is important to eat a proper diet. Diet is not only an ideal way to help get over a migraine quicker, but it is also a way to reduce your chances of suffering from one. A well-balanced diet is a key to staying happy and healthy. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, honey, yogurt, and milk are advised. In fact, one other natural remedy for headaches that comes highly recommended is eating a fresh apple each morning.

Water is also key to reducing the average time frame of a headache or a migraine. As with a healthy diet, the regular consumption of water can help to prevent the onset of headaches and migraines. In addition to drinking plain water, another home and natural remedy for headaches and migraines that come recommended are that of honey. Many headaches and migraine CPAP sufferers report a decrease or complete elimination of pain when drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of honey.

A cold compress can also and should be used to help treat a migraine or a headache. A Ziploc bag filled with ice or a cold washcloth can be used. Although a cold compress is an ideal way to seek relief from a headache or a migraine, there are also individuals who claim that heat provides them with assistance. If you would like to try this approach, start with warm washcloths or towels around the neck and armpits.

Those who have the option to do so are encouraged to sleep when they develop a painful headache or a migraine. Although sleep may not provide permanent relief, the temporary relief is still preferred by many. Even if sleep is not possible like if you are a parent who is at home with your child, stay in a dark room. Light can often complicate a headache, especially a migraine. This can make the pain much worse or even unbearable for many. For that reason, those suffering from migraines are encouraged to limit their exposure to household lights, sunlight, television, and computer screens.

Headaches, especially migraines, can be debilitating. Some sufferers are unable to continue on with their daily activities. If this describes you and if you have tried the above mentioned natural and home remedies for migraines without success, you may want to consider contacting a healthcare professional. As nice as it is to stay natural, it is important to be able to complete your daily tasks, especially if you are employed or a parent.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Massage Therapy: More than Just Relaxation

Left and right massage therapy clinics are setting up shop in the Metro. Perhaps more and more people are getting into the healthy living trend that has taken over Hollywood.

More than just being a stress and pain reliever, massage therapy has a lot more benefits to offer that actually contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Though not known to many, massage therapy lowers blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, facilitates faster recovery from injury and healing and even improves posture. Not only that, it also enhances attentiveness and flexibility in an individual. Certainly, these are things that lie beyond the relaxation it is known for. This is perhaps why massage therapy as an industry has become so big nowadays.

Through constant application of pressure, massage therapy relaxes blood vessels and decreases systolic and diastolic blood pressure, decreases the level of cortisol or stress hormones and prevents anxiety and depression. These reduce the threat of heart attack and create a clear mind and body making the individual more dynamic and active. Massage also helps relax the muscles itself, allowing people to become more energized. This is the reason why people are so much into massage therapy. It rejuvenates the body from all the stress that we encounter every day.

Since massage decreases one’s stress levels, it also lessens the possibility of an individual’s vulnerability to pathogens by increasing the body’s cytotoxic capacity. When the number of active natural killer cells increases, our body’s line of defense becomes stronger and more stable and becomes more effective in shielding us from illnesses.

Faster recovery from injury is another benefit of massage therapy because it relaxes the muscles and improves circulation of important body fluids making it easier for the body to deliver nutrients to vital organs and other parts of the body. It also initiates pain management when the injured part is undergoing treatment since it activates the parasympathetic nervous system causing the production of endorphins which are natural pain killers thus speeding up the healing process.

Other than these good effects, massage therapy can correct bad posture which causes pain and stress in muscles that can lead to the body’s breakdown. It eases the tension in worn out muscles, soothes pressure points and increases the flexibility in joints by stimulating the production of body fluids and lubricants, so as to allow the body to position itself in a painless way. Thus, the individual can move freely and carry out daily tasks without hassle.

As shown in electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns, regular massage can also improve a person’s mathematical ability due to increased attentiveness because of the elimination of stress. The absence of stress imposes less pressure on an individual resulting to a more concentrated and focused mind, free of worries and distracting thoughts. You can also practice “mind massage” to allow you to relax prior to sleeping, this is excellent for part of your practice before your normally nightly CPAP regimen.

Massage therapy may be considered as a simple recreational activity however it does more than just restoring one’s vitality because it lessens or even eliminates the dangers imposed on a person’s health. It also helps an individual loosen up because it releases unwanted energy and leaves the person with a renewed outlook and refreshed senses.

Study even shows that HIV patients who have regular massage therapy sessions notice an improvement in their condition. This proves that massage therapy is not a waste of time rather it is an individual’s key to having a sound mind and body.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

ResMed Mirage Micro Nasal Mask Frame System with Cushion – Without Headgear

Yes, it’s true this “Micro” compact CPAP Nasal Mask accommodates many different faces due to its MicroFit Adjustment system.

The Mirage is simple to wear allowing you more time to do the things you like before bedtime.

The clear line of the site offers you the opportunity to take off your mask while reading that favorite novel and resume reading once you put it right back on.

If you have ever dreamed of a night of CPAP therapy that was soothing, quiet, and consistent, it’s time to wake up and make that a reality.  With the Mirage Micro, you won’t have to tolerate any unwanted noises, like humming or whistling, from your nasal mask. Besides cutting down the number of auditory distractions, the Mirage’s exhalation port is designed to channel exhaled air up and away from your body, instead of blasting air on your upper arms and chest, or even worse, your partner. Once you try the Mirage Micro, you’ll never want to sleep without a diffuser again.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order the ResMed Mirage Micro Nasal Mask Frame System with Cushion – Without Headgear without any prescription being required from our online store at Breathe Easy.

What is peripheral vascular disease?

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a heart condition similar to that of coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. In PAD, the fatty deposits build up in the inner linings of the artery walls. These blockages restrict the blood flow circulation, mainly in arteries leading to the kidneys, stomach, arms, legs, and feet.

In its early stages, a common symptom is cramping, or fatigue in the legs and buttocks during activity. Such cramping subsides when the person stands still. This is called “intermittent claudication.” People with PAD often have fatty buildup in the arteries of the heart and brain. Because of this association, most people with PAD have a higher risk of death from heart attack and stroke.

There are two types of these circulation disorders:

Functional peripheral vascular diseases don’t have an organic cause. They don’t involve defects in blood vessels’ structure. They’re usually short-term effects related to “spasm” that may come and go. Raynaud’s disease is an example. It can be triggered by cold temperatures, emotional stress, working with vibrating machinery or smoking.

Organic peripheral vascular diseases are caused by structural changes in the blood vessels, such as inflammation and tissue damage. Peripheral artery disease is an example. It’s caused by fatty buildups in arteries that block normal blood flow.

Many Sleep Apnea patients have symptoms that go undiagnosed. If you’re having issues where you are noticing any spasms, feeling coldness, tingling, or numbness in your limbs speak to your cardiologist about what you are experiencing.

How is peripheral artery disease diagnosed and treated?

Techniques used to diagnose PAD include a medical history, physical exam, ultrasound, X-ray angiography and magnetic resonance imaging angiography (MRA).
Most people with PAD can be treated with lifestyle changes, medications or both. Lifestyle changes to lower your risk include stopping smoking, diabetes control, and blood pressure. Become physically active; eat a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

PAD may require drug treatment, too. Drugs include medicines to help improve walking distance, antiplatelet agents and cholesterol-lowering agents (statins).

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Natural Remedies for Losing Weight – The Cross Training Support Program

The Cross Training Support Program is rather unique in that it advocates that weight loss can be helped with Aromatherapy, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle Changes, Crystals and/or Homeopathy. In other words, complementary therapies are the cross training.

As with all plans to lose weight, you will still need to eat less and exercise more. Consume less sugar, simple carbohydrates and saturated fats. It’s just as basic as that. No matter what other supplements or capsules you take, the bottom line is still you have to work to get it off. At the root of obesity is a physiological and psychological problem.

It seems about 66% of adults in the USA are overweight or obese. If that isn’t scary enough, about 25 million young people are either overweight or on the brink of becoming so.
What does cross training suggest you do? They offer a 12 step program if you will that covers all the natural remedies for losing weight. The first is think of your weight loss as a lifestyle change, not a diet. Don’t count calories (that’s a radical one), just replace high fat content with low fat content. Eat low on the sugar index, to avoid highs and lows in your blood sugar that can lead to increased insulin production and conversion of calories to fat. Don’t drink – it’s fattening. Exercise, no way around it. Likewise, if you’re suffering with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) you already know that any form of constant exercise will help you with your sleep. Drink lots of water. Eat more frequently during the day. Take vitamins. Cut back on meat products. Reduce your portions. Believe in yourself and what you are doing. Sleep well. Overcome fears.

The 12-step cross training program for losing weight isn’t anything we haven’t heard before. It doesn’t offer lotions, potions or pills. It offers a plain old reasonable common sense natural remedy for losing weight. Are you up to the challenge?

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

The Essence Of Jazz Music

Jazz music is an expression of melody from the depth of the soul conveyed as a gospel in many unique ways. The essence of Jazz music is music that is upbeat, full of pizzazz, yet laid back with style. One would never guess that this free style of music has a foundation that began with Baroque elements found in Classical music.

Classical music comes from the basic structure of homo-phony when two or more musical lines are played vertically in the same direction as sacred music. In fact, Jazz music is created with homo-phony in terms of the movement of chords to support the melodic improvisation. However, when it comes to playing intervals and chordal harmonies, Jazz is free from the restriction of classical form.

The Tones in Jazz music are always about the speech rhythm and the chordal harmony full of color as influenced by music in the impressionism period. The essence of Jazz music serves as a personal interpretation of the picture the performer wants us to thinks about. The icing to the cake are the vocalists and instrumentalists who performs how they feel from the soul as the music beckons them to reply to its statement. As the soloist plays or sings, the beauty of strong kaleidoscope tones in the harmony encourages one to soar especially in ballads. Jazz music can be uplifting and help you unwind before engaging in your CPAP Therapy at night.

All of this can occur when the harmony plays in the right position above the correct bass tones found in all Jazz masterpieces. The true essence of Jazz music is present in its ability to shape the music through tones, the syncopation of speech rhythm, the chromatic harmony, improvisational solos, and constant motion of the bass. It is the free structure made from a balanced structure, and a music expressed from the soul.

You can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP who is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories

Oregano Tea For What Ails You!

If someone says Oregano, it is likely that you will think in terms of cuisine. You would be right as most people do think of Oregano is sauces and so forth. However, there are actual medicinal properties to Oregano as well. Oregano makes a luscious cup of savory tea that works well for gas, indigestion, bloating, coughs, urinary problems, bronchial problems, headaches, and swollen glands and to induce and regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle. Others swear that is can cure fevers, diarrhea, vomiting, and same jaundice.

In the capsule form, the leaves are dried and then crushed and placed into the empty capsule shell. Further, even others use the dried leaves by crushing them and adding just enough water to create a paste-like substance and use it for a cream to apply for arthritis, itchy skin, sore muscles, and swelling. For a relaxing and soothing bath use Oregano leaves in the bath water. Finally, some people make Oregano oil and claim it helps rid toothaches.

In Jamaica, people burn Oregano scented incense to ward off coughs and other respiratory distresses. Oregano has been used in ancient Greece and many other places across the globe where people have found a different use for Oregano besides cooking. Oregano is a perennial herb that is relative to the mint family and it is a very important culinary herb that is used in a lot of Greek and Italian cuisines. For cooking purposes it is the leaves that are used and while some like nothing but a fresh Oregano sprig, most will agree that the dried Oregano is much more flavorful.

Especially in Italian cooking, you will notice a distinct relationship between the uses of Oregano in combination with Basil. The two always seem to create the perfect marriage, especially in a tomato sauce. Oregano is also used in many vegetable dishes as well as a seasoning on various meats. The Greeks would never consider cooking without Oregano in their pantry. The famous Greek salad boasts its flavor of Oregano. No one could imagine eating a piece of pizza without a taste of Oregano added to it.

Oregano is commonly mistaken for Marjoram as the plants look very similar. Outside of the kitchen Marjoram and Oregano are best friends and do a lot together. The pair has quite plentiful properties in the areas of antioxidants and antibacterial. Together they are not only a great combination of flavoring food but also for preserving it too. Because both of their oils are perfumery they are placed in many different soaps and lotions. They are also used in combination with many potpourris and home decor.

There is no denying that Oregano has been around since ancient times both in and out of the kitchen. It had many medicinal properties then and it still does now. It was used in the kitchen and it is still used there now so those from ancient times started a tradition that is still followed to this day. Oregano’s uniqueness is fully utilized in many different ways and will be for years to come.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Sleep Apnea: A Weighty Issue

Sleep apnea is the condition for where there are pauses in breathing during sleep. These are defined by medical terminology when an individual literally stops breathing. There are two types of apneas Central and Obstructive. This is a common problem among the morbidly obese which requires them to wear an oxygen mask so they can breathe since that’s due in part of their weight bearing down on their chest crushing their rib cage and lungs.

According to medical reports, the population at risk are obese middle-aged males since physiology doesn’t make women potential sufferers of sleep apnea. The problem is that people who do fall asleep due to sleep apnea will go through brief periods where people think they’re not going to wake up. Keep in mind that this is very serious because if it’s not properly diagnosed it can be life-threatening. People with excessive weight usually morbidly obese constantly have to deal with frequent episodes of paused breathing. Snoring is a common problem with the morbidly obese and constant gasping for air while sleeping is another problem. Obstructive sleep apnea can be dangerous to the heart because it’s prolonging and deprivation of oxygen to keep the circulation flowing efficiently.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy can assist you with all of your CPAP Therapy needs.

Other symptoms that are deemed non-specific are headaches, irritability, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, Noctoria (getting up in the middle of the night to urinate), increased urination, decreased sexual drive, increased heart rate, anxiety, depression, esophageal reflux (acid reflux disease), and profuse heavy sweating at night.

Sleep apnea has also been linked to congestive and congenital heart failure usually found in people who are diagnosed as morbidly obese because of the excessive weight on them. This is from severe and prolonged cases meaning the individual(s) were not being treated and had let the condition get to the point that it’s no longer treatable.

Individuals born with Down’s Syndrome are likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea since 50% of the population that has this genetic condition is likely to be diagnosed because of having an enlarged head, adenoids, tonsils, tongue, and narrowing of the nasopharynx. Pharyngeal flap surgery has also been noted to cause sleep apnea in patients because of the obstruction in the breathing pattern after surgery which if not monitored can be life-threatening. There are different treatments for people with sleep apnea and doctors and ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialists take the following into consideration for designing a treatment plan for those who are diagnosed with this condition.

The factors that are considered are an individual’s medical history, the severity of the disorder, and the specific cause of the obstruction. Some treatments also incorporate a lifestyle change, avoiding alcohol and medications that can relax the nervous system.

Other lifestyle changes are losing weight and quitting smoking, and incorporate things like elevating themselves while sleeping so that they can breathe using slanted pillows. The weight issue is the biggest lifestyle concern because that causes some people to be confined to beds where they can’t move and be active contributing further to a person’s weight gain.

Usually if someone who’s morbidly obese and loses about 50 pounds within a couple months their condition improves, but it’s usually up to a steady support system to get someone on a set routine and healthy eating plan that helps to get their weight down so they can qualify for other treatments to help them maintain weight loss which is either through gastric bypass which has to be strongly enforced since this surgery is irreversible and you have to eat differently and undergo a major lifestyle change. The other option is lap band, which is reversible, but again to maintain the weight loss to improve sleep and breathing patterns comes with monitoring what one eats and exercise to help improve breathing patterns.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Three Easy Crock Pot Meals for Your Family!

There are two things you want to remember in regards to crock pot cooking. Crock pots are easy and simple to use and dinner is ready once you get home.

Nothing could ever beat your own house cooking for healthier eating on a budget.

With only a little organization and preparation, you’ll have delicious home cooked meals however busy you’re! When you’re making meals from scratch, with whole foods, you know 100% what is going into your body.

If you’re on the lookout for cost-effective solutions on the best way to manage nutritious eating on a budget.

Below are some of our favorite recipes. These will help you save money and prepare healthy meals your loved ones. For items which you are unable to have due to your diet, it is fine to consider supplementation.

The Happy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Meal

Ingredients

(32 fluid ounce) container vegetable broth

(16 ounces) package frozen cheese-filled tortellini

(8 ounces) package cream cheese, cut into pieces

(8 ounces) package fresh spinach

1 cup sliced ‘baby Bella’ mushrooms

Directions

a) Stir vegetable broth, tortellini, cream cheese, spinach, and mushrooms together in a slow cooker.

b) Set to Low and Cook for 5 to 6 hours.

 Sweet Honey Mustard Chicken Slow Cooker Meal

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa -hot water to cover

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1 tablespoon honey

4 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

a) Soak quinoa in a bowl with enough hot water to cover for 5 minutes; drain.

b) Combine yeast flakes, chives, sea salt, onion powder, dill, and turmeric together in a bowl. Stir drained quinoa, yeast flake mixture, 1 3/4 cup water, butter, and vinegar together in a slow cooker.

c) Set the chicken breasts on top of quinoa mixture; season lightly with salt. Combine mustard and honey in a bowl; spoon over chicken breasts.

d) Cook on High for 3 hours.

Slow Cooker Yankee Pot Roast

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 (2 1/2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 (1.2 ounces) package dry beef gravy mix

1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix

1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

1/2 cup water, or as needed

5 whole peeled carrots (optional)

Directions

a) Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Scatter the onion slices out into the bottom of the cooker.

b) Spread the flour out onto a work surface. Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt and black pepper, and roll the roast in the flour to coat all sides. Pound the flour into the meat. Place the floured roast into the cooker on top of the onions.

c) Whisk together beef gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, and Italian dressing mix in a bowl, and whisk the mixes with water until smooth. Pour over the chuck roast. Distribute carrots around the meat.

d) Cover the cooker, set to Low, and cook until the roast is tender and the gravy has thickened about 8 hours.

Dinner time may be one of the most stressful times of the day for a busy family, particularly if you’re attempting to earn a complicated recipe.  If you are trying to manage your diet as part of your CPAP therapy using your crock pot is a time saver. You won’t be let down using your Crockpot.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Sleep Disorder – A Growing Concern in the United States

In the United States alone, it is estimated that approximately 60 – 80 million people have some form of sleep disorder. This number continues to rise. Several of the reasons for the increasing numbers are the aging of the American population, the change in our lifestyle and the obesity epidemic. Of course, there are other factors that can lead to a sleep disorder, such as, stress, shift work, illness or genetics.

There are more than 100 different types of sleep disorders. They range in severity from minor to life-threatening. People of any age, from infants to the aged, can be affected by a sleep disorder at any time of their lives.

As sleep disorders increase in the United States, so do the dangers that are associated with them.

Tiredness can lead to slower mental alertness and a slower reaction time. This can be a very dangerous combination. Between 20 – 25% of all serious vehicular accidents involve a tired driver. Many of these drivers suffer from some form of sleep disorder and may not even be aware of it. A large number of accidents that occur at home or at work are also due to people with some type of sleeping problem. Sleep disorder, combined with the cost of the accidents and illnesses it causes, results in the American people and the government spending billions of dollars.

Lack of sleep is directly related to many physical ailments and conditions. People that do not get sufficient sleep generally suffer more from headaches, sore joints, and stomach problems. Often a sleep disorder is an underlying cause of heart problems, lung conditions, and diabetes. Sleep disorders can also affect the mental well-being of people stricken with them. Mood changes, anxiety, eating disorders and depression can result.

Many people still do not think of a sleeping problem as a medical problem. Because of this, many never tell their physician that they are having a problem with sleep. Even if they see their doctor on a regular basis for an illness or condition, they never mention their difficulty sleeping.

As the American public and medical community become more educated and aware of the symptoms, effects, and severity of various sleep disorders, more and more cases are being diagnosed. Sufferers are being treated with medication, oxygen, CPAP machines and even surgery.  There are better screening methods and diagnostic tests which find sleep disorder problems earlier. Overnight sleep centers no longer resemble a hospital room. They are now designed to look more like a hotel room, to make the patient feel more comfortable. In some cases, due to computerization and miniaturization, equipment can be so small that some testing can even be done at home.

Sleep is not an option or a luxury. It is a basic element of living and of good health. If you think you, your partner or your child may be suffering from a sleep disorder see your physician. A sleep disorder is a medical problem that can be helped.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company Breathe Easy CPAP. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Learn How to Reduce the Effect of Sleep Apnea Using 3 Doctor’s Recommendations

This article would not be able to issue a cure for sleep apnea but it can highlight some solutions you can go to get rid of it!

The Greek word “apnea” literally means “without breath.” So, in a nutshell, sleep apnea means sleeping without breathing.

People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.

There are three solutions used effectively to reduce the effects of sleep apnea.

1. Physical or Mechanical Therapy

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common effective treatment for sleep apnea. In this procedure, the patient wears a mask over the nose during sleep, and pressure from an air blower forces air through the nasal passages. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep. The pressure is constant and continuous. Nasal CPAP prevents airway closure while in use, but apnea episodes return when CPAP is stopped or it is used improperly.

2. Surgery

Some patients with sleep apnea may need surgery. Although several surgical procedures are used to increase the size of the airway, none of them is completely successful or without risks. More than one procedure may need to be tried before the patient realizes any benefits.

Some of the more common procedures include removal of adenoids and tonsils (especially in children), nasal polyps or other growths, or other tissue in the airway and correction of structural deformities. Younger patients seem to benefit from these surgical procedures more than older patients.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure used to remove excess tissue at the back of the throat (tonsils, uvula, and part of the soft palate). The success of this technique may range from 30 to 60 percent. The long-term side effects and benefits are not known, and it is difficult to predict which patients will do well with this procedure.

Somnoplasty is a procedure that uses radio waves to reduce the size of some airway structures such as the uvula and the back of the tongue. This technique is being investigated as a treatment for apnea.

3. Non-specific Therapy

These three solutions are information on what can be done to reduce sleep apnea effect, to better your knowledge in this area. To really cure your sleep apnea, you would still need to consult a doctor.

Gentlemen, if you’re looking for a comfortable CPAP mask with headgear, you might want to check out the Phillips Respironics Comfort Gel Blue Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear available at Breathe Easy CPAP.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

Salt Therapy, a Natural Cure for Bronchitis

Many illnesses annoy millions of people around the globe. Getting sick is very costly especially nowadays. Medicines are expensive, especially those that are used for treatment regimens. And it’s very sad to note that not all individuals are capable of paying their medical bills. In fact, many people die from different illnesses because they don’t have enough money to pay for consultation fees or even buy medicine.

Usually, the government offers health programs for the needy. You can search your locality for institutions or organizations that offer free medical services to less fortunate people.

Sometimes, taking a lot of medications can be harmful to the body. And that is probably why many people resort to going back to natural cures. Bronchitis, together with other respiratory diseases can be cured using the natural way.

Have you heard of Halotherapy? This is also called salt therapy or speleotherapy. In Europe, this therapy is highly documented. In the early part of the 19th century, speleotherapy was practiced in salt mines. And today, specialists are trying to replicate speleotherapy by using dry aerosol salt particles and minerals. These things are utilized to treat various types of respiratory diseases.

People who worked in salt mines don’t get lung diseases, and this was noticed by Felix Botchkowski. He was a health official who wrote a book about salt dust during the 18th century. He had a successor named M. Poljakowski who founded his own Salt Spa near Krakow. In World War II, salt mines were used as shelters; and it was noted that people suffering from asthma felt better there. As of today, salt sanatoriums can be found in Hungary, Austria, Romania, Poland, Russia, and European countries.

Salt therapy is a non-invasive and non-drug treatment of respiratory diseases including bronchitis. Drug therapy has its own advantages as well as disadvantages, and for people who want to stick with the natural means can make use of salt therapy. Medical researchers from the Soviet Union are developing physical therapies to cut down on medical costs and avoid side effects. Presently, Russia leads the development of physical therapies. A lot of clinical trials focused on salt therapy to treat chronic bronchitis and asthma. It is even proven clinically that salt therapy is very effective in treating all respiratory tract disorders.

The major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide are respiratory diseases. Drug therapies usually have palliative effects, and drugs with steroids or corticoids have considerable side effects. And so there is a great need for a natural cure like salt therapy.

Discuss your symptoms with your physician. If your Doctor has indicated that you might need to add humidification to your CPAP you probably want to purchase the Philips Respironics System One Heated Humidifier DS6H

A lot of CPAP users also benefit from cleaning their CPAP with the SoClean2-CPAP Cleaner and Sanitizer.

Here is a list of countries that acknowledge the use and effectiveness of salt therapy:

• Romania
• Poland
• Germany
• Austria
• Armenia
• Bulgaria
• Hungary
• Belarus
• Russia
• Ukraine
• Slovenia

These countries believe that salt therapy is a very important treatment for chronic bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. It works well if you’re taking a medication or not and there are no side effects. Asthmatic patients and pregnant women can use the therapy. In European countries, salt therapy is usually covered by public medical systems, making it easier for the less fortunate to avail of the therapy at a minimal or no cost at all.

The salinity differs from one sanatorium to another. There are also salt lakes with different salinity ranging from 9g per 1 to 320g to 1.

Now, it is possible to have the natural cure even in your own homes. An inventor from Romania developed a certain device that can reproduce salt therapy in a home environment. This device is very convenient and affordable. People having bronchitis and other respiratory diseases can hope for a better and natural way of treating their condition at home. The device is called air salinizer that uses natural salt.

Using salt therapy does not entail any risk and can be adapted to your living space. But remember, natural cures are not substitutes for any medical treatment. Consult your doctor first. Natural cures like salt therapy can greatly improve the life of a patient having bronchitis. With it, you can reduce antibiotics, steroids or corticoids, and decrease hospitalizations.

This is an alternative that you might want to try yourself. If your medications are not enough to address bronchitis and other respiratory diseases, then you can try the natural cure.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.

A Look At Free Snoring Treatments

If you are on a budget, or simply do not want to spend money without understanding if an item will work, totally free snoring treatments might be the answer you have actually been searching for. Free snoring treatments range from remedies that you can try in your home to experimental sleep studies.

One of the very best complimentary snoring treatments that you can undergo is just a modification of your sleeping position. Rather than sleeping on your back, which is thought to be a leading reason for snoring, attempt sleeping on your side rather.

This is not only one of the finest totally free snoring treatments, but likewise one of the quickest result producers. The additional height may assist to keep your air passages open, which is needed if you want to remove snoring. A lot of CPAP user’s find the CPAPmaxPillow very comforting during the night.

Weight-loss is among the most healthy and totally free snoring treatments. Weight problems are one of the leading reasons for snoring and, as such, has an active role in its remedy.

If you are overweight or have been diagnosed with weight problems, a diet plan and workout program will assist to prevent snoring and other medical diseases. Weight reduction is one of the healthiest free snoring treatments, which is useful in more ways than one.

Consider the possibility that you might be breathing airborne irritants that may be a cause of snoring if you have allergic reactions. Why? Breathing outcomes when airways are restricted, which is very common among allergy sufferers.

One of the very best free snoring treatments available is just the act of ridding your home of cigarette smoke, dust and animal hair. The regular use of air filtration systems in every room will assist to eliminate many unseen irritants.

Consider a sleep study if you have attempted home snoring treatments without success. This is a speculative research study, which is often carried out by medical trainees and researchers, which is among the very best methods to receive free snoring treatments.

Sleep research studies, when purchased by a physician, can be pricey. However, if you are fortunate adequate to learn of complimentary snoring treatments or sleep research studies in your area, register and get an assessment at no charge.

This short article is planned for educational purposes just. It needs to not be utilized as, or in place of, expert medical recommendations. Prior to starting any treatment for snoring, please speak with a doctor for a correct diagnosis and treatment.

This is not only one of the finest complimentary snoring treatments, but also one of the quickest result producers. The extra height may help to keep your air passages open, which is essential if you want to get rid of snoring.

If you have allergic reactions, think about the possibility that you may be breathing air-borne irritants that might be a cause of snoring. Prior to starting any treatment for snoring, please consult a physician for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

If your physician orders CPAP Therapy the team at Advanced Sleep Therapy would be happy to come out and set up your CPAP machine and supplies and show you the ropes.

Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories. Best of all you can order online in the privacy of your home.

Exactly what is Sleep Apnea?

Is your medical professional having a difficult time treating your high blood pressure? If you responded to “yes” to this, then you might have Sleep Apnea (likewise called Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA).

Sleep Apnea is a condition involving decreases or pauses in breathing during sleep. It is normally due to air passage collapse. On an inhalation, the airway walls can either totally collapse or substantially narrow.

Patients with sleep apnea can wake-up more than 30 times an hour and believe that they slept undisturbed through the night. Considering that sleep should be consolidated and constant in order to be restorative, a number of cognitive problems can happen with sleep fragmentation: daytime sleepiness, memory issues, concentration troubles, psychological instability, irritability, slowed response time, and most importantly, an increased threat of motor vehicle accidents.

There are also cardiovascular repercussions of this constant “struggling to breathe.” This puts a strain on the heart and blood vessels, causing an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart problem, and stroke.

There are social ramifications to Sleep Apnea. The snoring related to sleep apnea can interrupt the sleep of others. One study revealed that when a person deals with his/her sleep apnea, the sleep partner gets the equivalent of one hour more sleep per night. Can you imagine?

Sleep apnea is a progressive disease and frequently worsens with age. Weight gain, alcohol, and other sedating/relaxing compounds intensify it.

Who Gets Sleep Apnea?

A common misconception is that only obese people that snore loudly have sleep apnea, however, the truths are:

1) Sleep apnea can happen without snoring

2) Thin individuals can have sleep apnea

3) Skinny individuals can have sleep apnea

4) Children can have sleep apnea

In other words, anyone can have it.

I Think I Might Have Sleep Apnea, How Do I Find Out If I Have It?

Make an appointment with your primary care physician, or if your insurance permits it, go straight to a sleep expert. If your physician thinks you may have sleep apnea, then he/she can refer you for a sleep study or thorough sleep assessment.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

There are four main classifications of treatment for sleep apnea: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Surgery, Oral Appliances, and Behavioral Modification.

The most effective method to deal with sleep apnea is with CPAP. This is the most efficient method to treat sleep apnea, and all clients detected with sleep apnea need to at least try it before thinking about other alternatives.

The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company http://breatheeasycpap.com. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories

Surgical treatment can be an efficient way to deal with sleep apnea. A variety of various procedures can be performed. These range from nasal septum repair work to jaw restoration. Speak with your medical professional about whether surgical treatment is the right choice for you.

An oral appliance is a device made by a dentist or an orthodontist designed to pull your lower jaw forward. By pulling your lower jaw forward, the tongue retreats from the back of the throat. This can be a reliable method to treat your sleep apnea if your respiratory tract blockage is occurring behind the tongue. The treatment of sleep apnea with oral device ought to be a coordinated effort in between the sleep doctor, the dentist/orthodontist, and the client.

Behavioral modifications can help in the treatment of sleep apnea but are typically the least efficient. These include such techniques as weight loss, sleeping on your side, and avoiding alcohol prior to bedtime.

None of these treatment options are perfect, however, they all can be helpful in dealing with sleep apnea and resulting in more relaxing sleep. If you believe you have sleep apnea, contact your doctor today.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment – Things to know

Obstructive sleep apnea treatment consists of utilizing a CPAP, or “continuous positive airway pressure device”, or fixing the blockage with medication, oral devices, or surgery. , if you presume you have obstructive sleep apnea you ought to see your doctor as soon as possible so you may begin treatment.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a severe condition that affects the way you breathe when you are sleeping. Not only is obstructive sleep apnea a serious condition it could be life-threatening. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which you actually stop breathing for anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds approximately 30 times per hour every hour you are asleep.

A few of the symptoms that you may discover are feeling more tired when you wake up than when you falling asleep, being more worn out during the day, frequent morning headaches, current inexplicable weight gain, inattentiveness, bad judgment, memory loss, state of mind swings and depression or anxiety.

Your medical professional should have the ability to make a proper medical diagnosis simply by you relating these symptoms to them and then they can order a sleep study to confirm their diagnosis. They can get you started on an obstructive sleep apnea treatment regimen to lower your danger for hypertension, heart attack, and stroke.

During the sleep study, you will be monitored for the electrical activity of your brain, REM sleep, heart rate and blood oxygen levels. If it is confirmed that you do have obstructive sleep apnea you will be awakened and fitted with the CPAP device which blows air into your nose and or mouth at a constant rate to assist keep your air passage open. When you return to sleep the technician will change the flow until the best rate of airflow for you is figured out.

After the sleep research study, you may be required to buy your CPAP.

You should ask your physician to call The Dream Team at Advanced Sleep Therapy consists of a team of Respiratory Practitioners, as well as an RN Nurse Clinician who will assist you in starting out with the proper CPAP treatment equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your Doctor. Advanced Sleep Therapy located in Arlington Heights has been serving Chicagoland for over fourteen years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories is outstanding, which is what makes them JCAHO Gold Seal Certified providers.

The CPAP requires replacement accessories. Any tubing you need for CPAP operation must be nonreusable and you can establish month-to-month delivery of materials you need from Advanced Sleep Therapy.

Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company http://breatheeasycpap.com. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear and all cleaning and CPAP accessories

You might be lucky and only have to wear an oral device, customized and fitted by your dentist to help keep your tongue and soft palate from falling back and blocking your respiratory tract when you sleep. Remember you must also limit using depressants like alcohol and sedatives which can make your condition worse.

Surgery may be required to eliminate the blockage. You might be a candidate for surgery if you have actually a deviated septum or some other blockage that can securely be removed by a surgical procedure. Obviously, no surgery is completely safe and all precautions must be taken by you and your doctor before the surgery happens. Surgical treatment should be thought about only for the most severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea.

These are all options you have for obstructive sleep apnea treatment. All of it depends on the intensity of the apnea you are detected with as to what treatment choices you and your doctor choose for you.

Decreasing and Coping with Jet Lag

Jet lag is a familiar condition to those who travel often, especially those who travel frequently across different time zones, from east to west. Sufferers from this condition may experiencing insomnia and fatigue as a result of a disruption in their biological clocks. It most commonly occurs when a person travels through more than two or three time zones. Jet lag can be frustrating, you’d like to enjoy your vacation, but you’re so tired, all you’d like to do is sleep! Even worse is adjusting on the way home. It’s hard to go back to work when you’ve got insomnia or just want to sleep all the time!

Decreasing Your Risk of Jet Lag

To prepare yourself for jet lag, begin by taking note of what time it is in the region you are planning to travel to during different parts of your normal day. For example, if you are going somewhere where it is day time during your evening at home, try exposing yourself to indoor lighting which mimics daytime light. Pair this activity with exercise to train your body into staying awake. Before and after your travel, decrease your exposure to alcohol and caffeine; both of these are known to contribute to sleeping difficulties.

Coping with Jet Lag

Staying hydrated is one of the most important ways to combat the symptoms of jet lag. Bring a bottle of water with you wherever you go and keep it full during the day. Use lamps that mimic natural light and exercise during the day. Try relaxing baths and aromatherapy to fall asleep at night in order to avoid insomnia.

Travel opens our hearts and minds to the love of other cultures and peoples. Jet lag shouldn’t stop you from enjoying this beautiful part of the human experience. If you’re concerned that you’re not recuperating from your travel, consider visiting your health care provider. It may be that you need medication to help you adjust back to your time zone or that another health condition is getting in the way.

CPAP Therapy and Nasal Congestion: What if I’ve Already Got a Humidifier?

A stuffy nose and dry throat; are you getting sick or just experiencing side effects of your continuous positive airway pressure therapy? While CPAP machines are great for keeping your airways open, they may also cause drying of the mucous membranes and nasal congestion. To combat this, many users find using CPAP humidifiers to be the perfect solution, but, when nasal congestion returns as a product of an upper respiratory infection, users need other solutions to deal with their congestion.

Treat Your Nasal Congestion Symptoms Early

The best way to treat your nasal congestion is to prevent it. Practice a great hand washing regimen and make sure to avoid others who are sick. If you’ve come down with a cold or a stuffy nose from allergies, treat your nasal congestion during the day by using a neti pot to clear your sinuses or taking over the counter nasal-drying cold medications. It can also help to use a neti pot just before bed.

Throughout the Night

If you’re experiencing nasal congestion, try sleeping with the head of your bed elevated just a bit in order to promote drainage from your sinuses. You can also use a neti pot just before you lay down for the night. When it comes to using essential oils or products like Vick’s Vapor Rub, ensure that are placing them on your body, under your nose and on your chest for example, and not adding them to your CPAP humidifier’s water chamber. Adding things like essential oils to your water chamber may erode the quality of the tank or the tubing. More seriously, while essential oils may not be harmful in small doses, adding anything that will be delivered directly to your lungs is dangerous.

Nasal Congestion Still Won’t Go Away?

Still tempted to use aromatics? A medical supply company, like Breatheeasycpap.com may have ideas for dealing with your discomfort. They should be able to direct you in the direction of aromatherapy-safe products. Some CPAP filters and humidifiers has special reservoirs or areas to place essential oils.

Still struggling? Contact your health care provider if you’ve got nasal congestion that won’t go away or is interfering with your CPAP therapy. You may have an infection that needs to be treated. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition, prevent nasal congestion from ending your therapy altogether.

How Often Should My Sleep Apnea Therapy Be Evaluated?

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder which can lead to deadly cardiovascular disease. Those suffering from the condition experience up to hundreds of episodes without oxygen every night as a result of partial or complete airway obstruction during the night.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed by patient history along with reported symptoms. Some sleep apnea cases should be evaluated through a sleep study that is performed by specialists in a special sleep laboratory. If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea after your study, your doctor will likely suggest continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or CPAP therapy, with a prescribed pressure setting needed to keep your airway patent. This pressure setting is assigned to a numeric value in atmospheric pressure. Most patients fall between pressure levels of six and fourteen centimeters of water.

Will My Treatment Need to Re-evaluated?

The rule of thumb is to have a new sleep study performed, or at least an appointment to review your CPAP therapy every two to five years. You should see your physician before this time if you’ve had any major health changes, have lost or gained weight, or if your sleep apnea symptoms have returned.

Changes to Your Therapy

After another evaluation of your sleep apnea treatment, your physician may lower your pressure setting if your sleep apnea has improved or raise the setting if it’s worsened. If some cases, your physician may suggest moving your treatment to an APAP machine. APAP therapy, also known as automatic positive airway pressure therapy, works much like a CPAP machine but uses sensitive algorithms to detect subtle changes in your breathing.

Sleep apnea is an evolving health condition. Consider using a “smart” CPAP machine such ResMed’s AirSense 10 to monitor your treatment. These machines can submit information to your smartphone or to your physician so that a second sleep study may not be needed for small changes in therapy. Have questions about your sleep apnea treatment? Contact us at Advanced Sleep Therapy. We’ve got a passionate team of registered nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists standing ready to ensure that you’re getting the best treatment possible.

Sleep Apnea is Not Just an Older Man’s Disease

When you picture someone with sleep apnea, you may very well be imagining an older man who is out of shape and probably carrying a few extra pounds. This assumption is reasonable as men are at a greater risk of developing the disease than women, and half of those suffering from the disease are overweight. Yet, ignoring the symptoms in yourself or a loved one because they don’t fit this “typical” mold is dangerous. Anyone can develop sleep apnea, a disease which contributes to heart disease and the development of other disorders like diabetes.

What About Athletes?

Athletes who may be required to gain weight for their sport, like football players and wrestlers, are at an increased risk of developing sleep apnea in part due to the increased weight found around their necks and chest. Still, you don’t need to be heavy to get sleep apnea. Even athletes known for their leanness and stamina can not only acquire the illness, but die from it. In 2010, a famous triathlon athlete died of a heart attack. The cause of this sudden infarction? Sleep apnea.

Women Suffer from Sleep Apnea Too

Women are sometimes overlooked in diagnosing sleep apnea because their symptoms may present differently. Fatigue and depression are more common in women and the may be less prone to snore. It’s a good idea for women to do a thorough look through their family’s medical history to see if anyone else has ever suffered from the disease. A woman who is snoring, feeling depressed, or experiencing high blood pressure should ask her doctor for a sleep study.

Even Children Can Have Sleep Apnea

Children with chronic nasal congestion or enlarged tonsils and adenoids are at a higher risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring may be lighter than in adults, but other signs include bed wetting, difficulty concentrating at school, and frequent night waking. Although the signs are different in children, the consequences are the same.

CPAP Therapy is for Everyone

Whether or not you fit the mold of a typical sleep apnea sufferer, the treatment is the same. Once diagnosed, most health care providers will prescribe continuous positive airway pressure therapy via a CPAP machine. This treatment is painless and really effective in controlling the symptoms associated with sleep apnea as well as preventing the major consequences. Breatheeasycpap.com carries hundreds of excellent sleep apnea treatment supplies from great brands like ResMed and Fisher and Paykel. We’ve also got a team of sleep specialists ready to help you start your treatment off on the right foot. Don’t delay treatment because you don’t feel like you’re the “normal” sleep apnea sufferer. Get treatment; your life depends on it.

CPAP Hose Guide and Hose Lift

Sleep apnea sufferers know that adapting to CPAP therapy can be a challenge to become accustomed to. Between the mask, the new somewhat noisy machinery, and the CPAP tubing, using your CPAP in the beginning can sometimes feel like preparing for deep sea diving. The clutter alone is a frustration, leaving many CPAP users looking for a solution to the bulk and disorder. If you’re one of the many undergoing continuous positive airway therapy and looking for a way to streamline your therapy, you may be interested in using a CPAP hose guide or lift.

How a CPAP Hose Guide Makes Sleep Easier

CPAP hose lifts work to suspending the tubing above the user’s head in order to cut out the hassle of moving around the hose while tossing and turning during the night. Normally, your CPAP hose lies below your bed or on your night stand, making it easy for you to sleep on one side yet a struggle to sleep on the other! The CPAP hose guide straightens the tubing and pulls it up over your head so that moving around during the night is unaffected by positioning.

Where to Find a CPAP Hose Guide

You can try a CPAP hose guide by purchasing one from a reputable medical supply company or sleep apnea specialty store. If you’re looking to create an even more comfortable sleep apnea treatment experience, try adding a warm air humidifier to your system and a hose warmer as well as ensuring that you’ve got a properly fitted mask.

If you’re having trouble finding a CPAP hose guide or the best accessories for your CPAP system, contact the team of specialized registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians at Advanced Sleep Therapy for help. We’re a team dedicated to promoting adherence to sleep apnea therapy through comfortable CPAP use.

5 Things to Know About Central Sleep Apnea and Adaptive Servo-Ventilation Therapy

About 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. The vast majority of those sleep apnea suffers have the “obstructive” form of this condition. But obstructive sleep apnea is only one part of this issue, “central” sleep apnea is also a struggle and for the minority of Americans struggling with CSA, treatment can be tough.

Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the parts of the body which control breathing. Rather than the standard continuous positive airway pressure machine, or a CPAP machine, used by sufferers of obstruction sleep apnea, those with central sleep apnea may need a type of machine manufactured to treat their special symptoms. Most physicians prescribe an ASV machine, or adaptive servo-ventilation therapy, to these patients. Here’s what you need to know about ASV therapy.

1. ASV Therapy is All About Support

ASV therapy uses an algorithm, or a set of rules, to ensure that your breathing is supported all night long. This means that when your machine detects that your breathing pattern has changed in a negative way, it knows just what to do to provide back-up support.

2. ASV Therapy Focuses on Giving Just Enough

Rather than worrying about constant pressured air, ASV is more concerned with the amount of air the patient will receive. ASV works to keep patients breathing at 90% of their maximum and always works to reduce the patient’s efforts to breath throughout the night.

3. ASV is Reserved for Patient’s Who’ve Failed BiPAP Therapy

Before placing their patients on ASV therapy, most primary care providers will try BiPap therapy first. BiPAP works by providing supportive breaths along with the pressured air similar to that found in CPAP therapy.

4. Physicians May Prescribe ASV Therapy to Patients with Mixed Sleep Apnea

Mixed sleep apnea means that you’re suffering from both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. For many, ASV therapy works best to treat their symptoms related to both conditions.

5. Not Everyone Will Benefit from ASV Therapy

In cases where the patient has chronic heart failure, ASV therapy may make this condition worse. Your physician should evaluate you for a reduce left ventricular ejection fraction before starting you on ASV therapy.

Once your health care provider feels that ASV therapy is right for you, contact the sleep specialists here at Breatheeasycpap.com to get set up with the best machine for your treatment. We suggest looking into our gold standard products, like the Philips Respironics System One BiPAP with autoSV Advanced. We’d love to help you get your treatment started off right, whether you’re suffering from obstructive, central, or mixed sleep apnea.

Can You Eat Better to Sleep Better?

We know that there are plenty of foods that make it tough for us to sleep: peppers, onion garlic, and really anything that might contribute to heart burn for example, but are you aware of how paying attention to your food choices might help you sleep better? If sleep isn’t coming as easily for you as it used to or you’re having a tough time staying asleep through the night, maybe a dietary change is in order. Put down that chocolate, it’s full of caffeine and chemical compounds which, again, cause heart burn, and pick up a few of the snacks below.

Some Food May Help You Get a Better Night’s Rest

While heavy eating at night can interfere with your sleep, a light snack has been shown to help those who wake frequently at night. Avoid foods which contain caffeine, cause heartburn, or are high in fats. These foods could do more harm than good.

Instead, try these foods:

• A glass of milk or cheese and crackers. Rich in calcium, any dairy product promotes sleep. Calcium helps tryptophan, the tried and true sleep compound found in foods like turkey and lentils, do its job. While a warm glass of milk has been encouraged by grandmothers for centuries, any dairy product will do. A few slices of cheese paid with a carbohydrate gives plenty of energy to your brain and encourages a restorative night’s rest.
• Salad greens. Kale contains calcium to work a lot like dairy products. Other lettuces contain a chemical compound known as lactucarium which acts as a sedative. Together, these foods are a sleep promoting double punch. Some nutritionists even suggest brewing a tea or broth of these salad greens. To make this broth, boil three to four large leaves of the greens in a cup of water for about fifteen minutes. To improve the taste, add a sprig of mint and honey.
• Sip on cherry juice. Cherry juice works to boost levels of melatonin within your body. Try a glass of juice about an hour or two before bed in order to promote falling asleep faster.

Evaluate Your Sleeping Problems

If you’ve made dietary changes to improve your sleep yet food still doesn’t seem to be your issue, talk to your primary health care provider about your sleep disorders. Trouble staying asleep, falling asleep or waking feeling exhausted could be an indication of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. If you’ve been snoring or are worried about sleep apnea, we’d love for you to get in touch with us here at Advanced Sleep Therapy. We’ve got a team of respiratory health specialists on call to get you on the right track to healthy sleep.

Sleep Apnea in Children

Is your child is snoring at night?  If so, you may have brushed it off as an adorable part of childhood, or you may be worried that something serious is going on. Snoring is a cornerstone symptom of sleep apnea, and while most adults snore occasionally, healthcare professionals recommend that those who are snoring and exhibiting other symptoms of the disease visit their primary health care provider. In adults, sleep apnea may present with depression, high blood pressure, and weight gain. But is this the same for children?

Recognizing the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Children

Sometimes bedwetting is the first sign of sleep apnea in children. This can be an embarrassing experience, especially if they are at an age where they are having sleepovers with friends. Children with sleep apnea often suffer socially. Frequent wakings or micro-arousals at night makes them feel fatigued and may lead to behavior problems and restlessness during the day.

Causes of Sleep Apnea in Children

If your child snores frequently or experiences  frequent episodes of loud snoring, they may be developing issues with their tonsils or adenoids. These issues often cause airway obstruction while asleep. This blockage of the airway is better known as obstructive sleep apnea. Children who are overweight have an increased risk for developing sleep apnea because of the excess pressure around their necks. This extra weight makes their upper airway more readily collapsible while they sleep. Children who suffer from neuromuscular diseases, like cerebral palsy may be at a greater risk of developing sleep problems.

No matter the cause, children need to be treated for this disorder. Like adults, children who lack treatment for their sleep apnea are at an increased risk for serious health problems. Children with sleep apnea could develop high blood pressure and breathing problems.

Treating Sleep Apnea in Children

If your child’s sleep apnea is the caused by oversized tonsils and adenoids or a large tongue or tongue positioning, surgery could be required. Children who are overweight may need to practice lifestyle changes. Your child’s doctor may suggest a change in eating habits like a reduction in fats or sugars. Exercise will also likely be encouraged. If these interventions fail to help or your child’s sleep apnea is the result of a neuromuscular disorder, a continuous positive airway pressure machine will likely be the next step.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, or the use of a CPAP machine helps millions of Americans struggling with sleep apnea. Forced air supplied through a child’s sized sleep apnea mask keeps the child’s airway open, preventing snoring and the associated effects of the illness.

CPAP Therapy for Children

CPAP therapy does not hurt. Children should be reminded of this often when the concept of treatment is discussed. Talk to your child’s doctor about sleep apnea and visit a reliable CPAP supplier who stocks CPAP masks made especially for children. When talking to your children, work to end any fears that they may have about their CPAP mask and sleep apnea treatment. Contact the sleep apnea treatment team at Breatheeasycpap.com if you have any questions about ensuring your child not only gets the treatment they need but goes into therapy without reservations. Together, we can promote healthy sleep in your entire family.

Can Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Cure My Sleep Apnea?

Is hypoglossal nerve stimulation a treatment option for your sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a common medical problem and while snoring, or the sound created by air passing through a constricted upper airway, is one of the cornerstone symptoms, it’s not the only one. Look for some of the other common symptoms like dry mouth and headaches in the morning. You may find that you’re more restless at night and sometimes urinating more frequently. Many of those who suffer from sleep apnea report feeling drained during the day even though they slept all night long!

Receiving a diagnosis for sleep apnea can be nerve wracking. You may wonder if you’ll need to wear a machine at night or if you can try something less burdening. Many of those newly diagnosed with this disorder look to alternative therapies, such as hypoglossal nerve stimulation, to treat the condition.

What is Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation?

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation is a surgical procedure for obstructive sleep apnea. It involves placing a device within the body which encourages this nerve to activate during the night, pushing your tongue forward and allowing air to flow uninhibited through the throat.

In the United States, there is only one FDA approved method of this treatment. The Upper Airway Stimulation system by Inspire Medical Systems. This arrangement includes a few parts including a pulse generator, a sensing lead, and a remote to activate the device. Again, upper airway stimulation works to signal the hypoglossal nerve to activate and move the tongue forward when you inhale.

Will it cure your sleep apnea? Hypoglossal nerve stimulation works for most to reduce greatly the number of micro-arousals or moments without breath during the night. Your doctor will be able to tell you just how well it will work for your specific health situation.

Who is Eligible for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation?

Generally, this procedure is reserved for those who are unable to tolerate continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or CPAP therapy. Research has found that this procedure works best on individuals with a BMI no greater than 32. Before this surgery is performed, patients will likely undergo a drug-induced sleep endoscopy to ensure that hypoglossal nerve stimulation will really do the trick.

Try a CPAP Machine First.

Generally, your physician will encourage you to try a CPAP machine before any surgical procedures. While CPAP therapy was once more difficult to navigate, today you’ve got plenty of options. There are hundreds of popular machines available online with reputable dealers like BreatheEasyCPAP.com. Companies like Resmed and Philips Respironics are creating new technology every year and making CPAP machines smaller, quieter, and more effective all the time.

If using a CPAP mask is intimidating you, check out this great article on choosing your perfect mask, or get help from BreatheEasy.com’s wonderful health care team. Obstructive sleep apnea therapy is varied and effective; we’ll help you find the best treatment option for you.

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that drains the energy and health from your life. If you’re suffering from this sleep disordered breathing condition, you’re going without oxygen hundreds of times a night. Untreated sleep apnea increases your risk of developing all sorts of health problems that aren’t only inconvenient, they’re also deadly. Fortunately, continuous positive airway pressure can help. Successful treatment can be a challenge, but we’ve got a few tips for making sure that your CPAP therapy flourishes.

Your Sleep Apnea Mask’s Fit is Everything

If you’re experiencing air leaks, mask discomfort, or are continuing to snore at night, you’ve got problems with your sleep apnea mask’s fit. A properly fitted mask is the key to comfortable and effective CPAP treatment.

First, choose the correct mask. Nasal Masks are the most popular and often work well for those with facial hair. Because nasal masks cover a small surface area, they’re less likely to have air leaks caused by inconsistencies in facial shape or your beard. Nasal pillows are also a good option in these circumstances. However, if you’re dealing with high pressures or have trouble with air leaks, a full face mask paired with nasal cushions might be the best fit for you.

Always check your equipment’s user manual for tips on fit. Practice fitting your mask a few times before use, making sure that you also practice while laying on your side. Experimenting with your mask’s fit during the day will reduce your stress and frustration in the evening.

Take Advantage of CPAP Comfort Solutions

Whether you use nasal pads, a warm air humidifier, or aromatherapy with your CPAP treatment, don’t underestimate the value of comfort. Anything that makes your CPAP use more comfortable and encourages you to use it regularly shouldn’t be considered an extra part of treatment but an essential component!

For example, the addition of a warm air humidifier prevents the drying out and cracking of your nose, meaning you won’t be waking up sore or with a nasal infection. Breatheeasycpap.com recommends all sleep apnea sufferers take advantage of the relief humidifiers provide.

Give Yourself and Your CPAP Time

You’re likely not going to be a CPAP expert the first night it’s sent to your home. Expect to have some struggles and moments of frustration during your first week or so of CPAP machine use. The only way to overcome these hurdles is stay the course and commit to solving any problems that arise. During the first few weeks, you’re sleep apnea mask and CPAP machine’s user manuals will be your greatest asset. You can also find help from other CPAP users online or from our experienced health care professionals at Breatheeasycpap.com.

Invest in Quality Sleep Apnea Supplies

When it comes time to buy a new sleep apnea mask or your very first CPAP machine, consider purchasing only from reputable sleep apnea supply retailers. Breatheeasycpap.com is a American based  sleep apnea supply company who sells comfort solutions, sleep apnea masks, and CPAP machines of the highest quality. When you invest your hard earned income on trusted brands like Fisher and Paykel or Philips Respironics, your investing in your health above all else. Our team of sleep experts is standing by to make sure that your CPAP therapy goes as planned and is managed with care and comfort. Visit our online storefront today!

Learning that you have sleep apnea is an understandably frightening experience. First you’ve got to work up the courage to see your doctor about your snoring and daytime sleepiness. Then you have to come to terms with the truth: you’ve been experiencing breathless periods while you sleep every single night. Worst of all, you’re at risk for developing all sorts of grave health conditions like kidney disease and diabetes. Your health care practitioner has likely told you that you’ll need a CPAP machine to treat your condition, but after hearing your diagnosis, your head is swirling.

Start by Narrowing Your Choices

Let’s face it, being told that you’re responsible for choosing your own medical equipment sort of feels like you’re being told to go repair one of NASA’s rockets, unless your a rocket scientist, of course. Never fear, it’s not as daunting as it seems.

Start your search by deciding whether or not you’d prefer a standard CPAP machine or an auto-titrating CPAP. The difference between these two choices is that the standard equipment will remain at the pressurized air level during the entirety of sleep. An auto-titrating, or APAP machine, will instead determine the pressure setting necessary to treat your sleep apnea optimally every night. Some feel that this auto-titration mechanism is a luxury, but others say that they wouldn’t go without it.

Then, decide what options are most important to you. Would you like your CPAP to have the option to record your breathing data and display your progress on your smartphone? There are plenty of applications made to do just that with the right machine. How compact should your CPAP machine be? Small enough for travel or just the right size for your bedroom? Finally, determine your price range and what your insurance is willing to cover.

Shopping for a CPAP System Locally

When shopping for your CPAP machine, you might first stop at your local medical supply store. There, they’ll likely have less options than you might find online and will probably be more expensive, but you’ll be able to look at the machine itself and get a feel for what sleep apnea treatment looks like. When you visit a sleep apnea supply store in person, you’ll likely be invited to try on several CPAP mask options to find which suits you best. Many stores have staff available to help measure and choose your best mask option.

Online CPAP  Shopping

Often a lot cheaper than local supply stores, online CPAP companies are able to offer a much wider variety. If you’ve got specific needs to be addressed, such as requiring a small pediatric sized sleep apnea mask, you’re likely to find that on any reputable online store.

The two biggest problems with online shopping is that you won’t be able to try on any masks before purchasing them and the fear of spending your hard earned money on a scam website. Breatheeasycpap.com is an online CPAP supply company that manages to make both of these issues moot. On top of offering thousands of cost effective products, their staff is available by phone or email to answer any of your sizing questions. Because they’re a small company created and staffed by health care professionals, you can rest assured knowing that they’re trustworthy and in the business for all the right reasons. The health care professionals at Breatheeasycpap.com are passionate about getting your therapy started. After your sleep apnea diagnosis, let them assist you in understanding your insurance options and CPAP purchasing needs.

Every year we see new campaigns released by the health and police departments warning us against the dangers of drinking alcohol and then getting behind the wheel. You wouldn’t slam a six pack and then jump behind the wheel, but would you drive to work in the morning if you’d missed a few hours of sleep the night before? If you’re answer is yes, then you’re likely putting yourself and everyone else on the road at great risk. If you’re a person with untreated sleep apnea, it’s likely that you’re not getting enough sleep at night and you might be a danger on the road, maybe even as dangerous as a drunk driver.

How Does Sleep Apnea Lead to Daytime Exhaustion?

Sleep apnea is a medical condition that occurs when your airway is unable to maintain uninterrupted breathing during the night. Sometimes this is cause by issues with your brain’s ability to send and receive signals to and from the lungs, but generally, sleep apnea is the result of a partial or complete obstruction of the windpipe. Obesity, chronic sinus issues, and relaxation of the throat muscles can all be responsible for obstructive sleep apnea.

When your sleep disorder causes you to stop breathing for seconds or minutes at a time, your brain “wakes up” from rest and reminds your body to move or adjust so that you’ll begin breathing again. These moments of waking are called “micro-arousals” and result in fragmented sleep. When your sleep is fragmented, it means that you are losing sleep repeatedly through the night and the end product is daytime sleepiness. These moments can also cause affect reaction time, a very important part of decision making and driving. In football players found to have sleep apnea, their reaction times were noticeably lower.

How is Sleep Deprivation Anything Like Drinking and Driving?

If you’re still not convince that drowsy driving is impaired driving, take a look at a few facts. Where alcohol accounts for 31% of all traffic fatalities, driving while drowsy is responsible for 10-30% of all total vehicle accidents. When your reaction time is slower, and your level of sleepiness is equal to .05 or .10 Blood Alcohol Content, you should never get behind the wheel.

Driving With Sleep Apnea

Because of the frequent wakings and total sleep deprivation overtime, people with sleep apnea are three times as likely to be involved in a life-threatening car accident than those without the sleep disorder. Dr. Alan Mulgrew at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver said that, “”When we looked at the small number of truly awful crashes — head-on collisions and collisions with pedestrians or cyclists — 80% of the crashes of that kind were in sleep apnea patients.”

Start CPAP Therapy and Avoid Driving Impaired

The best way for sleep apnea patients to stay safe on the road? Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy. The use of a CPAP machine normalizes daytime exhaustion the more it is used, meaning you’re less likely to be driving while drowsy. If you’re snoring, waking with dry mouth, and feeling tired during the day, discuss the potential of having sleep apnea with your doctor. If you’ve already been diagnosed, don’t wait to get treatment any longer. The health care professionals at Breatheeasycpap.com are ready to help you get your treatment started with high quality CPAP machines and comfortable sleep apnea masks. You want to be a responsible driver, so take care of your health and begin living responsibly today.

Yeah, yeah, sleep apnea is serious. If you’re one of the millions of Americans suffering from sleep apnea, you’ve likely heard all about the grave consequences of not treating your condition. If you haven’t heard, your risk of being diagnosed with diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and stroke are much higher when you opt out of sleep apnea treatment.

Although continuous positive airway pressure therapy is painless and effective for treating sleep apnea, many of those suffering from the medical condition are ashamed. They’re frustrated with having a breathing problem and sick of having to use a bothersome CPAP machine,.

For CPAP users trying to meet people or even date, the thought of telling a new partner about their need for treatment can be terrifying. Won’t people be scared off by the machine, tubing, and complicated looking sleep apnea mask?

Finding Someone Who Cares About You and Your Sleep Apnea Too

First things first, if you tell the person you’re dating about your CPAP machine and they’re rude or extremely uncomfortable, question whether or not they’re the best partner for you. When you let someone know about you sleep apnea machine, they should be pleased to know that you think taking care of your health is important. And it is important: it means you care about yourself and you can care about someone else too.

Initially, there’s not necessarily any need to bring up your treatment. Sure, you’ve got sleep apnea, but that isn’t as important as sharing your passions, dreams, and goals with potential dates.

While you get to know your new partner, there’s no reason you can’t put your CPAP system in the closet and shut the door for now.

When you do bring up your treatment for the first time, discuss it causally and be open to answering your friend’s questions. You participate in treatment because you want to sleep well, stay healthy, and feel energetic enough to be adventurous and fun. Anyone worth your time and affection will not only tolerate your treatment but be an active supporter on your journey to health.

Sex and Sleep Apnea

The biggest downside for sleep apnea sufferers who are newly dating might be that when left untreated, sleep apnea can destroy your sex life. CPAP machine use solves and prevents sexual dysfunction in men and women. If there’s ever a reason to treat your sleep apnea, sexual performance could be the biggest reason of all for the romantically involved. For those with sleep apnea, CPAP machine treatment means better sex.

Finding the Right Equipment

In order to make your sleep apnea therapy the most tolerable for everyone involved, consider investing in some of the CPAP machines described for their quiet motors. Philip’s Respironics System One Remstar CPAP machine is known as one of the quietest machines on the market, as is the AirSense10 and the Transcend. Another way to keep your therapy restful for your partner is by choosing a properly fitted mask  so that there aren’t loud air leaks blowing from the edges of your mask. If you’ve already purchased your mask, nasal pads work great at stopping air leaks from the bridge of your nose. You can find these CPAP comfort accessories, as well quiet CPAP machines at Breatheeasycpap.com.

If your child is suffering from sleep apnea, a health condition leading to obesity, diabetes, and stroke, you’ve likely been told to start treatment as soon as possible. As a parent, you want the best choices made for your son or daughter, but you’re not always sure what those choices are! Read on to find out more about your child’s options for sleep apnea treatment.

Surgery Versus CPAP

Surgery is considered the routine option for treating sleep apnea in children. In most cases, kids develop sleep apnea due to facial deformities or large tonsils and adenoids. The surgical removal of masses of lymph tissue or repair of a deviated septum is usually enough to stop snoring and episodes of sleep apnea in these cases. For some children however, surgery is delayed because of other disorders they’re experiencing or if they’re taking medications that aren’t compatible with surgery. In these children, continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP therapy is the best step to take while they wait for a surgical treatment.

CPAP therapy is often difficult for children to tolerate as the sleep apnea mask can sometimes seem overwhelming. Discussing CPAP therapy calmly with your child is the first step in helping them adjust to their new treatment.

How To Introduce CPAP Therapy To Child

If your child is prescribed sleep apnea treatment via a CPAP machine, remind them as often as needed that their therapy will be completely painless and can even feel fun. For younger children, having them imagine they’re in a calming outdoor setting with a strong breeze on their cheeks might help them stay relaxed and maybe even enjoy the CPAP experience. You may also find that your child is comforted by viewing a few videos on Youtube.com that show children using their CPAP devices.

Remind your child to wear their CPAP mask for as long as possible. In the beginning, they may only be comfortable wearing their mask for one to three hours. Even those short three hours of CPAP wear can be beneficial in treating sleep apnea. If your child will allow it, have them wear their sleep apnea mask occasionally during the day while they get used to the way it feels. Most importantly, never physically force your child to wear their CPAP at night or scare them into treatment.

Dealing with Overnights and Embarrassment

Even for adults, sleep apnea treatment can be embarrassing. Reassure your child that their CPAP machine is an awesome tool made for combating breathing problems and that you’ll do everything to make them comfortable physically and socially. Start by introducing your child’s CPAP use to their friends at your own home first and encourage sleep overs only once the other children have shown their ability to be compassionate about your child’s sleep apnea. It may take some time before younger children are comfortable sleeping over at another persons home. Never rush your children to sleep somewhere they aren’t comfortable, and remember to move at their pace.

Purchasing a Child-Sized CPAP Mask

One drawback to treating your child for sleep apnea is that finding the right mask can be difficult. Even for many large children, the adult masks are simply too big. Fortunately, any reputable CPAP supply store sells sleep apnea equipment for children. ResMed and Respironics both have great pediatric sleep apnea masks available. Breatheeasycpap.com has some really great options for the child in your life suffering from sleep apnea. The staff at this exceptional online storefront are experienced health care professionals who are available to help you navigate CPAP treatment options and insurance issues. Raising a child is difficult enough, take advantage of the professional help available to you today.

After finally finding the perfect CPAP mask style to treat your sleep apnea, you’ll likely still run into a few bumps on the road to successful therapy. If you’re a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy user who takes advantage of the benefits provided by a full face mask, waking with mask lines and marks on your face probably happens more often than you’d like. These marks are generally harmless, but can be embarrassing for sleep apnea sufferers who must spend the first few hours of their day with red marks on the bridge of their nose. Even worse, these marks can occasionally be sore and tender making uninterrupted therapy a bother.

Continuing CPAP therapy is an essential part of treating sleep apnea, a breathing disorder with serious health consequences such as kidney disease and stroke. When embarrassing mask lines and sore marks on your nose become an issue, what are you supposed to do in order to continue your treatment?

What’s the Big Deal with CPAP Marks?

Overtime, the moisture and oils in your skin erode the soft silicone material that makes up your sleep apnea mask. This erosion causes your equipment to degrade and costs you more money in the long run. More seriously, this erosion also contributes to skin breakdown, a serious adverse effect of using a sleep apnea mask. Skin breakdown can lead to infections or even deep tissue injury. The embarrassment caused by waking in the morning with lines on your face is one thing to take lightly, but the potential for bodily harm is not something to ignore.

Mask Liner/Cushion Options

The solution to this issue of skin and CPAP mask breakdown is the use of CPAP mask liners and cushions available at most CPAP supply retailers. These liners, like ResMed’s “Gecko Nasal Pad” are hypoallergenic and soft enough to promote personal comfort when secured to the bridge of your nose. Many of these products even promote healing of skin that has already been damaged by a CPAP mask, an important action against the development of skin infections. On top of protecting your skin, most CPAP mask cushions create strong seals against your face, removing the potential for mask leaks even when you’re tossing and turning in your bed at night.

Alternate CPAP Mask Options

Although most sleep apnea mask users find that CPAP mask liners are enough to keep their sleep apnea treatment comfortable, some people still prefer investing in an alternate CPAP mask style altogether. SleepWeaver has created a fabulous alternative to the traditional plastic sleep apnea mask by fashioning their Élan mask out of a durable yet comfortable cloth. This CPAP mask is generally used with custom built mask liners designed to create an airtight seal and comfortable treatment experience. This versatile mask is also available in three sizes, so you can be sure that you’re investing in the perfect fit for your facial shape.

Comfortable CPAP Mask Options are Available

A superior sleep apnea supply store should always offer comfortable mask solutions such as liners, cushions, or alternate sleep apnea mask styles. The health care professionals at Breatheeasycpap.com are standing by to aid your search for comfortable and quality CPAP treatment options. Their passionate staff believe that discomfort should never stop you from getting the health care you deserve. Check out their site today.

Sufferers of sleep apnea know how important a healthy night’s rest is to your quality of life. The condition is known for causing snoring, but also leads to exhaustion, restlessness, and frequent waking at night. Generally, sleep apnea is treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy, and users say that they feel more rested and energized after starting treatment.

However, if you’re still having trouble falling asleep with your new CPAP machine, you might be wondering how others integrate CPAP use into their lives. The answer for many is finding and adhering to a standard bedtime routine.

A Good Night’s Rest Begins the Day Before

The morning is the best time to start a routine for the next night. Make your bed and participate in a cleaning routine with your CPAP. Although warm air humidifiers are a great addition to any CPAP system, the moist environment they create may breed bacteria, which is why it’s so important to take the proper steps in freeing your system of moisture every morning.

Empty your humidifier and dry it out. You can refill it with distilled water before bed the following night. Next, wipe your mask with disposable CPAP mask wipes or a mild detergent and lay your mask and tubing on a clean surface.

Practice Healthy Habits

A study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity reports that engaging in physical activity for about two and a half hours a week improves sleep and daytime drowsiness. Schedule time to exercise every day and make sure it’s an exercise you love! The more you like to engage in physical activity, the more likely it is that you’ll stick with it.

Try cutting out excess caffeine from your day and try switching to non-caffeinated teas after a cup or two of coffee. You may also want to avoid carbonated beverages with caffeine in them. In the evening, avoid alcohol within a few hours before you normally lay down and limit your alcohol consumption whenever you drink.

An hour or so before bed, turn off screened electronics that produce artificial light. The bright lights emitted from these electronics can stimulate your brain into thinking it’s daytime again and disrupt your normal circadian rhythms making sleep nearly impossible.

Find a calming activity to tell your brain that it’s time to quiet down. Some people enjoy taking a hot bath or reading a relaxing book just before bed.

Ensure that you’re turning in for the night at a reasonable hour. Research shows that sleep apnea sufferer’s who get to bed earlier are able to adhere to their treatment better. On top of increasing the level of compliance to treatment, going to bed earlier increases the effectiveness of your sleep apnea therapy. One study showed that CPAP users who received adequate amounts of sleep at night had less daytime sleepiness and overall better outcomes in therapy.

Quality CPAP Supplies Make Treatment Comfortable

Another way to promote optimal sleep is by only purchasing quality sleep apnea supplies. At Breatheeasycpap.com, you’ll find premium and effectively designed sleep apnea masks and accessories. Finding a CPAP system that makes you comfortable will keep you treating your sleep apnea for the long haul, and get you great sleep while you’re at it!

Has your doctor recently suggested that you take part in a sleep study? If so, you may be struggling to understand what this means for you and your health. Most of the time, a sleep study is performed because you’ve told your doctor that you’re snoring or waking frequently at night. Maybe  you’re having trouble falling asleep or are waking up feeling exhausted. Often, health care practitioners request that you have a sleep study done to determine whether or not you have sleep apnea, a medical condition which causes frequent night waking, snoring, morning headaches and dry mouth, as well as some serious adverse effects overtime.

At Home Sleep Studies

If you’re like many patients, you’ll first prefer to try having your sleep study performed at home. These tests are generally cheaper and provide the comfort of sleeping in your own bed, rather than a laboratory.

When you leave your physician’s office, you’ll be given a small device to wear in bed. This device measures vital information while you roll comfortably around in bed at night. Many health care providers also require that you keep a written diary describing your activity before turning in for the night. This can help determine whether any actions you took earlier influenced your sleep later on.

The following day, you’ll return the doctor’s office and there they’ll analyze the data collected by your sleep study device. If they’re unsure of the results, they may ask that you have a polysomnography, or in lab sleep study, performed.

What is a Polysomnography?

Polysomnographies are done in a hospital or sleep study center where doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists can watch your vital signs closely throughout the night. They’ll keep an eye on your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, brain activity, and number of breaths or episodes without breath throughout the night. In lab sleep studies are generally considered more reliable although they are more expensive and tend to cause some nervousness in patients which could upset the results.

Studies Lead to Effective Treatment

Both in home and in lab sleep studies are painless and help your health care team find the best solution to whatever is causing your sleep disturbance at night. If your doctor diagnoses you with sleep apnea, try staying calm. Treatment of sleep apnea is painless, and most people report feeling an increase in their quality of life once they start therapy.

It’s important to get therapy initiated as soon as possible because untreated sleep apnea can create a lot of problems such as high blood pressure or stroke. CPAP therapy is the first step in correcting the elements that lead to the development of these serious health problems.

The most frequently prescribed therapy for sleep apnea sufferers is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure administered by a CPAP machine. CPAP therapy puts a stop to your snoring and helps you get a better night’s rest almost immediately.

Purchase Your Perfect CPAP Machine

Modern day CPAP technologies are advancing all of the time. Most machines are quiet and take up very little space. Sleep apnea masks vary in shape and size guaranteeing that you’ll find the perfect mask for your face and prescribed therapy. Breatheeasycpap.com is an online CPAP supply retailer ran by health care professionals passionate about respiratory health. At their online storefront, you’ll most certainly find the perfect CPAP system to suit your needs.

When used regularly, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, also known as CPAP therapy, is a very effective treatment of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by intermittent missed breaths while a person sleeps. This breathing disorder causes snoring, daytime sleepiness, and a laundry list of serious health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are having problems either sticking with the treatment or initiating treatment in the first place, perhaps knowing that sleep apnea can seriously sabotage your sex life will motivate you into using your CPAP machine.

Sleep Apnea Causes Erectile Dysfunction and Sexual Discomfort

Erectile Dysfunction, or the inability to get and maintain an erection firm enough for sex, is an upsetting adverse effect of untreated sleep apnea in males. Studies have found a staggering portion of men with sleep apnea are suffering from ED. Since sexual activity is such an important part of human interaction, why would you let your sex life suffer because you’re afraid of CPAP therapy?

If you think that you’re too young to be diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, think again. Studies found that a shockingly large number of young men with sleep apnea also have erectile dysfunction.      Men aren’t the only ones impaired by sleep disordered breathing. The Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology at Lund University found that women with untreated sleep apnea report much higher rates of sexual dysfunction and discomfort.

How Can Sleep Apnea Ruin Sexual Health?

When you have untreated sleep apnea, your brain is waking you hundreds of times a night, often without your awareness. These wakings are called micro-arousals and are an important safety measure put in place by your body to stimulate your breathing. The downside of these micro-arousals is that waking hundreds of times a night deprives your body of sleep that’s necessary for sexual functioning.  Lack of sleep also reduces the hormones that influence this sexual function. Testosterone, a hormone that helps drive sexual performance in both men and women is especially impacted.

Although studies related to the reasoning behind women’s sexual dysfunction from sleep apnea are sparse, we can only guess that the lack of oxygen and micro-arousals are mostly responsible for their issues too.

Treating Sleep Apnea Improves Sex

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are experiencing sexual dysfunction, don’t fret. Evidence shows that with treatment of sleep apnea via continuous positive airway pressure therapy, men had healthier erections and reported an improvement in their sex lives. This treatment is painless and will begin correcting your sleep apnea related problems immediately.

Start by asking your health care provider what sort of CPAP mask style they recommend. Then begin shopping for your CPAP machine and system from a retailer who cares about their products. At Breatheeasycpap.com, we provide quality CPAP systems and sleep apnea treatment supplies because we’re health care professionals who genuinely care about your sleep apnea treatment.

Are you waking up more often to use the bathroom at night? Do you have headaches or dry mouth in the morning? Is your partner starting to lose sleep over your snoring? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, you might be one of the millions of people with sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea is a condition where a person’s breathing is routinely interrupted while they sleep. Episodes of apnea, or cessation of breathing, can last a few seconds to a few minutes. Overtime, these little moments without taking a breath add up and lead to serious, lasting problems within the human body.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

When sleep apnea occurs as a result of a narrowed or blocked upper airway, this is called “Obstructive Sleep Apnea,” or OSA. A narrowed throat is sometimes the result of a person’s sleeping position, excess weight around the chest or neck, as well as chronic nasal or sinus problems. OSA is most likely caused by a combination of these factors.

Central Sleep Apnea

Although Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the most common form of the condition, “Central Sleep Apnea,” is also a possible explanation for nighttime breathing problems. Where OSA is caused by something impacting the ability of air to pass through a person’s throat, CSA results from an inability of the brain to send important signals to respiratory muscles.

The brain stem is the area of the brain responsible for breathing. Using the neuromuscular system, its job is to tell the muscles to move air in and out of the lungs. Failure to maintain steady breath during sleep due to CSA can be caused by illnesses affecting the brain stem such as Parkinson’s Disease or a brain infection. Physical injury or opioid-based medications like morphine can also cause this part of your brain to function improperly.

Treating Sleep Apnea

In cases of Central Sleep Apnea, medical professionals will decide whether or not the underlying cause of the brain issue is treatable. In many circumstances, like Parkinson’s Disease, eliminating the illness is not an option. When this is the case, the gold standard treatment of Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the same.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy is generally the first step in sleep apnea treatment. CPAP machines work by increasing the pressure in the throat so that the airway is unable to collapse and cause obstruction. CPAP therapy is safe and starts working right away, stopping snoring and, more importantly, getting oxygen where it needs to go.

In both forms of sleep apnea, some patients may need another type of therapy called Bi-pap, or bi-level positive airway pressure. Bi-pap adjusts the pressure of a person’s airway depending on whether they are breathing in or out.

In serious cases of OSA, surgery to correct sinuses, adenoids, or tongue issues may be necessary. In CSA, a person may need alternate ventilation devices or medications.

More often than not, CPAP machines are enough to manage breathing during the night so that sleep apnea sufferers can immediately begin getting better sleep.

What if I’m Diagnosed with Sleep Apnea?

If you’ve been diagnosed with Sleep apnea, never fear. Whether it’s Central or Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the condition is very treatable. Talk to your doctor about CPAP therapies and check out a trusted CPAP supply retailer. The respiratory therapists at Breatheeasycpap.com would like to help you treat your sleep apnea with quality and competitively priced CPAP machines, sleep apnea masks, and the rest of your CPAP system needs.

CPAP Hose Rainout

The use of a heated humidifier with your Continuous Positive Airway Pressure system has a variety of great benefits for sleep apnea sufferers. Moist heated air prevents nasal congestion often associated with CPAP use and promotes user comfort. Sometimes, water from the humidifier collects in your system’s tubing and results in an uncomfortable blowing of moisture into your nose or against your face. This unexpected discomfort can be a frustrating roadblock for you as a sleep apnea sufferer struggling to get comfortable treatment.

Why does CPAP Rain-Out Occur

When your CPAP humidifier is set to deliver moisture at too high of a setting, water can collect and condensate in portions of the airway tubing. This is called “rain-out” and may inappropriately cause water to blow into your sleep apnea mask. The wetness from rain-out is known to make users feel as though they’re drowning whenever their tubing shifts with nighttime movement. If not corrected, rain-out can lead to poor sleep due to frequent waking, redness or chapping, and discomfort overtime.

How to Manage CPAP Hose Rain-Out

If you’re experiencing CPAP rain-out, you can begin to manage it by checking the temperature of your bedroom. If you live in a region that tends to get chilly, ensure that your room is warm. If your bedroom is too cool, it’ll promote the cooling of your CPAP tubing thus promoting rain-out. If you find sleeping in a warm room difficult, you can also try a small, low intensity floor heater placed a few feet away from your tubing. Next, try turning down the heat on your humidifier just a notch our two so that the humidified air isn’t starkly contrasting the temperature of the outside air.

CPAP Supplies to Prevent Rain-out

Covering your tubing by using a product like the Comfort CPAP Tubing Cover can make a great deal of difference in reducing instances of rain-out. This cover keeps the CPAP tubing warm thereby preventing heated water from condensing along a cold hose.

Another option for rain-out prevention is using specially manufactured tubing for use with warm air humidifiers. ResMed ClimateLine Tubing Acts as a heat conductor and is able to maintain the warmth of the heated, humidified air. This ability to retain warmth prevents condensate buildup inside of the climate control tubing.

No matter which option is best for you, make sure that you’re taking the proper steps to keep your tubing line clean and moisture free. Watch for signs of moisture collection in your CPAP hose like a yellow or brown discoloration to the plastic. Verify that you are remembering to replace your CPAP tubing annually. These steps won’t prevent rain-out, but they’ll promote cleanliness and you’ll be less likely to be awoken by stagnant water against your face if rain-out does occur.

Investing in quality CPAP supplies is a great way to avoid discomfort with your sleep apnea treatment. Research the best CPAP tubing style for you and your environment, and purchase the other parts of you CPAP system from a reliable sleep apnea product retailer. As physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists, here at Breatheeasycpap.com, we understand the importance of continuous positive airway pressure treatment in sleep apnea sufferers and strive to support their treatment as best as we can.

Will My CPAP Machine Keep Me From Sleeping Comfortably?

Finding out you that have sleep apnea and need to use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device, or a CPAP machine, can be intimidating. Many people avoid treatment due to the fear that their CPAP system will be complicated or that they won’t be able to sleep with their CPAP mask in place.

In reality, modern CPAP devices, such as the “auto adjusting CPAP machines” made by AirSense and ResMed, are simple and easy to use. In most cases, the CPAP system is made up of only three parts: a CPAP machine, one segment of tubing or hose, and a sleep apnea mask.

If you have sleep apnea, it’s important to start CPAP treatment in and avoid developing severe conditions like renal disease, diabetes, or stroke. Still, it’s also important to rest comfortably, and the idea of sleeping with an unfamiliar device can be understandably difficult to get used to.

The Right CPAP Devices Will Improve Your Sleep

At first, some CPAP users say that they’re terrified of moving around too much while wearing their mask. The exciting news is that not only are there several ways to get a good night’s rest while using a CPAP, your sleep apnea therapywill result in a much better rest in the long run.

Start by ensuring you have purchased a quality device and mask that will fit your needs. When your device arrives, take plenty of time to study your system’s manual so that you have a familiar understanding of how to properly secure the CPAP mask to your face. A properly fitted mask is an important step to prevent sores, chaffing, or mask slippage throughout the night.

Practice wearing your mask during the day and try different positions before you’re too tired or easily frustrated to experiment in the evening. Find a firm surface to rest your machine on, and make sure that there is enough length in the CPAP hose for adjusting in the night. This will prevent you from having to rearrange your entire CPAP system every time you move or get up.

Contoured CPAP Pillows Make Therapy Comfortable

Although many find that sleeping on their back is just fine with their regular home pillow, most CPAP users grow bored of this position and need other options. Some say they’re able to sleep on their sides but find it difficult, and for most, sleeping on their stomach seems impossible.

The use of a specially fashioned CPAP pillow, like the CPAP Max Pillow, has large semi-circles on either side allowing space for a CPAP mask and its’ associated tubing to lay on the bed. This deliberate design allows even those accustomed to sleeping on their stomach to lay comfortably and prevents frustrating air leaks and mask disconnections. A superior CPAP pillow should be made with Fiberfill foam, a material used in memory foam mattresses, and also have sizing options that adjust for the individual user.

At BreatheeasyCPAP.com you’ll find the CPAP Max Pillow as well as all your other Continuous Positive Airway Pressure needs. The respiratory therapists and nurses behind our company believe that you should have varied options and excellent prices so that you’ll get the most out of your sleep apnea treatment.