Image via WikipediaLast October I was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.This is a problem that quite a number of people with Pulmonary hypertension suffer from. In broad terms it is a condition that causes your windpipe to close up when your asleep which stops you breathing. The body tends to wake up when this happens after about ten seconds and in itself it can`t cause any problems but it puts an enormous strain on your heart and body and can cause strokes and heart attacks. I stop breathing about thirty six times per hour, some people do it much more often.The condition is diagnosed by a sleep study.The photograph shows a man wired up ready for one. A sleep study is a simple non invasive procedure that most people do at home where you wear various monitors over night which take readings and finds out if the illness is present or otherwise.
If the condition is judged to be severe which is if you stop breathing more than thirty times per hour when asleep or you have an heart condition or another illness like pulmonary hypertension that puts strain on your heart then doctors will usually treat it by getting you to wear what is called a CPAP mask at night. This is a mask that covers your nose and mouth and pumps concentrated air into you to help keep your airways open.It is very effective in dealing with the problem but it does take a time to get use to wearing it and sleeping while it is on.
When you have sleep apnea your body tends to wake up every time you stop breathing although most people don`t remember this as you don`t come fully awake and most people with sleep apnea do find themselves feeling extremely tired. Once they use the CPAP mask they do notice a real difference and it can make a big change to there lives.
I found the best way to get use to it is get use to it gradually. First just wear it for a couple of hours and then slowly build up until your on it all night. Most of the machines have counters on them that record how long you have been using it so it is also a good idea to use that in setting yourself goals when you first start using it. I found that it also helped just to sit with it on for a couple of hours in the daytime just to help get use to it.
The thing you have to remember that although the mask can be a bit of a pain it is really your fiend as it is helping you avoid far more serious problems.
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