Sleep apnea is a disorder that results from interrupted breathing during sleep. Indicators of this condition are snoring and tiredness despite getting a full night’s rest.

Sleep apnea does not immediately present itself as a serious problem, but it may cause heart problems and other health complications. Because of this, it is important to seek treatment for sleep apnea.

The term “sleep apnea” is an umbrella term that can refer to different versions of the disorder. As a result, treatment for sleep apnea can vary from patient to patient. Treatment methods include continuous positive airway pressure, adjustable airway pressure devices, oral appliances, supplemental oxygen bi-level positive airway pressure, and adaptive servo-ventilation—to name a few. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

When diagnosing or treating sleep apnea, your doctor may first recommend some lifestyle changes before prescribing medication. Some helpful lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and losing weight, are effective treatments.

Information on other at-home treatments, such as changing sleeping positions, are also helpful. However, be sure to consult your doctor first.

The nighttime twitching of restless legs syndrome may be more than an annoyance: New research suggests that in some people, it could be a sign of hidden heart problems.

People with very frequent leg movements during sleep were more likely to have thick hearts — a condition that makes them more prone to cardiac problems, stroke and death, the study by Mayo Clinic doctors found.

“We are not saying there is a cause-and-effect relationship,” just that restless legs might be a sign of heart trouble that doctors and patients should consider, said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a heart rhythm specialist at the Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale. He led the study and gave results Sunday at an American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans.

Restless legs syndrome is thought to afflict millions, though there’s argument about just how many. Some doctors think its seriousness has been exaggerated, possibly to help sell treatments. Read the rest of this entry

Ohio State University’s Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital implants a type of pacemaker in the first U.S. patient to receive the device to study it for the treatment of central sleep apnea in heart failure patients.

Central sleep apnea is a dangerous form of the disorder that can cause patients to hyperventilate during the night, and the implant should deliver small electrical impulses during sleep to restore more natural breathing.

“There are 6 million people with heart failure in the United States today. Eighty percent of them have sleep apnea and about half of those have central sleep apnea,” says Dr. William Abraham, director of the division of cardiovascular medicine at The Ohio State University Medical Center, and principal investigator of the safety and feasibility trial. “Literally millions of patients may be eligible for treatment with this device.” Read the rest of this entry

Summer thunderstorms are great theater-sky-spanning fireworks followed by crackling, crashing booms. But thunderstorms are also linked to some negative effects on health, from breathing disturbances to heart problems.

Summer thunderstorms are great theater—sky-spanning fireworks followed by crackling, crashing booms. But thunderstorms are also linked to some negative effects on health, from breathing disturbances to heart problems, reports the August 2010 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring not only robs sufferers of a restful nights sleep, but it can also lead to a variety of other health problems.  Recent studies have linked snoring to health problems from sleep apnea to ADD, heart problems, weight issues and more.  It also reduces the quality of sleep that is so important for good health.

If snoring has become a problem in your life there is some good news.  You don’t have to struggle with snoring any longer.  The use of a simple device known as a snoring chin strap has helped thousands achieve a healthy night’s sleep and it can do the same for you.

How does the snoring chin strap stop snoring?  One of the primary causes of snoring is sleeping with an open mouth.  This puts extra pressure on the throat, causing vibrations that result in snoring.  The snoring chin strap solves this problem by keeping the jaw closed while you sleep.  This greatly reduces and can even completely eliminate snoring.

Learn more about how to stop snoring with the snoring chin strap – Click Here Now