Apnea - Potentially deadly if not diagnosed
November 18th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Although vastly underdiagnosed and virtually untreated, sleep apnea can contribute to high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and strokes. It also can be deadly.
In one study, Stanford University researchers looked at 159 truck drivers. They found that 79 percent had sleep apnea, and many were unable to control when they fell asleep driving. In another study looking at accidents in which drivers fell asleep at the wheel, 87 percent of the drivers died, taking with them one or two other people.
Men suffer from the condition almost three times more often than women, , in part because of anatomical differences in the upper airways. But because many women who suffer from it are post-menopausal, there is some speculation it also may be hormone-related, he said.
The most common and severe form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. In many cases, it’s caused by sagging muscles at the base of the throat, enlarged tonsils, a small airway opening or a large tongue, according to the American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine. In about 20 percent of cases, being overweight is a major cause of the problem.
Obstructing the airway makes breathing labored and causes loud snoring. If there is complete blockage, the breathing stops altogether and the sleeper is briefly silent. This makes the diaphragm and chest muscles work harder; the sleeper gasps and briefly awakes as breathing is started again.
In central sleep apnea, the airway is opened but the diaphragm and chest muscles don’t work, perhaps because of a disturbance in the brain’s regulation of breathing during sleep, according to the AMA encyclopedia.
If you suspect you’re suffering from sleep apnea, talk to your doctor, who may refer you to a lab where your sleep can be monitored. Losing weight and avoiding alcohol before bedtime may help. Wearing a mask attached to an air compressor that forces oxygen into the airway is an effective treatment for severe cases. And surgery that removes excess tissue from the throat is another possibility.
First think through what you want from the doctor and make it clear to him or her. For instance, if you go to the doctor with lower back pain and your blood pressure is high, your doctor may concentrate on treating the blood pressure because it’s potentially life-threatening. However you should make it clear the back pain is still something you want treated. Second, ask questions. Studies show patients who ask questions do better, he said.
Third, be honest about what you can and can’t do. If you can’t take your medicine four times a day, tell the doctor. Maybe he can give it to you in another form. If you can’t diet or exercise, it’s important the doctor knows this, too.
Wake up happy! Discover the proven sleep apnea treatments that guarantee a healthy and restful sleep! To grab your free report go to Best Sleep Apnea Treatments
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Are SIDS and sleep apnea related?
November 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
A study suggests that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) might be more common in families that suffer from the adult sleeping disorder sleep apnea,.
Though the cause of SIDS remains mysterious, new evidence supports the idea that both disorders are caused by a narrowed upper airway resulting from the way the skull is formed, a characteristic that is inherited.
The study compared the number of SIDS cases in 29 families with sleep apnea and 35 families without sleep apnea. Researchers had families fill out questionnaires about the incidence of infant death. Subjects provided data from four generations of each family so that 352 sleep apnea family members and 408 control family members were covered.
The families prone to sleep apnea — in which breathing stops for short periods during sleep and can lead to snoring or disturbed sleep — reported eight unexplained infant deaths. The control families reported no unexplained, unexpected infant deaths, although one infant had died of mother-child blood-type incompatibility. Two of the sleep apnea families reported more than one SIDS death. In one case, a pair of twins had died without explanation. When researchers examined the facial structure of four of the six families that reported SIDS death, they found the shapes were significantly different from the normal families.
The results suggest that SIDS and adult sleep apnea are associated and that both could result from obstructive apnea due to facial structure narrowing the upper airway.
Sleep apnea runs in families. Other work has suggested that certain families may be at higher risk for SIDS, although like most things about SIDS, this remains debated. It is a thorny issue. The idea has been that sleep apnea may be the final common pathway of SIDS, but not necessarily the cause. The problem with SIDS research is that no one has ever witnessed a SIDS death.
In children who often appear tired or have trouble staying awake in school, check for potential obstructive apnea caused by abnormally large adenoids or tonsils.
Another study that found that babies considered at high risk of SIDS — those who had stopped breathing and were by chance found and resuscitated — had a higher chance of having a father with sleep apnea-like symptoms. This could support the idea that sleep apnea is related to SIDS. But how they are related and whether it is causative is another question.
Wake up happy! Discover the proven sleep apnea treatments that guarantee a healthy and restful sleep! To grab your free report go to Best Sleep Apnea Treatments
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Create Your Home Gym Environment
November 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
It sounds crazy, but home gyms are still a rage. People are converting their study rooms and part of their sharing space in their house to accommodate a home gym. Home gyms are preferred because they cut down on time, are convenient and provide privacy. Asses your financial capabilities and figure out what do you need from a home gym, then you will be able to make a decent buying decision.
Most important thing - do not cram your home gym with all sorts of fitness equipment. If you are trying to lose some weight, then you have to do cardio exercising routines with fitness equipment like elliptical trainers and treadmills. To do some muscle building, a smith machine that goes for $400 would be very welcome. The cost of building a multi-gym to tone-up muscles can cost a cool $4800 upwards. This will include things like lighting, flooring, ventilation system, and music.
You must have at least 150 square feet on your disposal to build a home gym. Some space for moving around should be present too. If you have a large area to fill, then be my guest and squeeze in a Jacuzzi too. In addition to equipment like elliptical trainer, treadmills and power plate machines, its good to have free weights and dumb bells. I urge you to refrain from creating your home gym environment in the basement.
Be aware that flooring is an important part when you are building your own home gym. Choose between two types of flooring, vinly and rubber. If any falls occur, the rubber flooring will cushion and reduce the impact. You will be comfortable with running, walking and standing in difference to the carpeted flooring or tiled flooring. Also rubber flooring can easily reduce the impact of any equipment fall. Bear in mind that the rubber flooring also has advantages like easy cleaning and maintaining. By cutting the noise level down and being resistant to stains, vinyl flooring is a very popular choice.
Now you here more then enough information to start creating your own home gym environment. Just build it up slowly and you will have a great home gym to workout in.
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Apnea often strikes premature babies
November 16th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Apnea is sometimes misunderstood to be a precursor of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But children with apnea rarely die. And there is no evidence that a baby with apnea is at greater risk for SIDS.
Layne Melzer awoke around 8 a.m. Jan. 6 and looked at his 6-week-old son, Shane, beside him. Most mornings, it was the baby who roused him at dawn with lusty yells for food, so Melzer was surprised to find Shane still asleep. Then he took a closer look. Shane’s skin was dusky, and he did not seem to be breathing. Melzer jiggled him tentatively, but the baby did not rouse. His color was darker now. Bluish.
Yelling to his wife to call 911, Melzer grabbed Shane and shook him — hard this time. The baby’s eyes opened at one point, but his gaze was blank.
Frantically trying to recall resuscitation techniques, Melzer put his mouth over Shane’s and puffed twice. Then he turned the baby over and slapped him on the back. He slapped him again, and then a third time. Suddenly Shane gulped for air and began to cry. A moment later, the rescue squad arrived.
The crisis, though, was far from over. By noon, Shane was admitted to Childrens Hospital of Orange County with a tentative diagnosis of severe apnea.
The term apnea comes from the Latin words a and pneuma, which means without air. Medically, it refers to pauses in breathing.
The main consequence of apnea is damage to the brain and heart because of repeated periods of inadequate oxygen. A baby with untreated apnea can, in later years, exhibit learning and behavioral problems, even cerebral palsy, associated with brain damage. Shane Melzer’s problem was central apnea, exacerbated by a viral infection.
Shane’s breathing pauses were found to be frequent, long and responsible for repeated episodes of bradycardia — the medical term for an abnormally slow heart rate. He met all the criteria for a diagnosis of severe apnea. Two days after being admitted to CHOC, he was transferred to the intensive care unit.
He just got worse. At 3:30 the morning following his transfer, the Melzers were awakened by a call from a doctor in the unit. Shane’s apnea was so bad that he now required the assistance of a respirator to survive, the doctor told them. But Shane was fortunate to be in a hospital with expertise in the treatment of apnea.
Shane’s apnea has caused no more trouble. His breathing pauses have never been severe enough to trigger the monitor, his parents report, and in every other respect, he is thriving.
Wake up happy! Discover the proven sleep apnea treatments that guarantee a healthy and restful sleep! To grab your free report go to Best Sleep Apnea Treatments
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4 Simple Tips To Stop You Feeling So Lethargic
November 15th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you only feel lethargic every now and then, don’t panic about it. It is quite normal for this to happen. But when your lethargic feeling goes from being a “once in a blue moon” event into an “all the time” one, then you need to do something about it.
There are lots of different causes of your lethargy.
Maybe the pressure at work over the last few weeks has been higher than normal. If that’s true for you, reward yourself with some time just lazing around for the weekend. There’s a good chance that this break from your routine will be enough to sort out your problem.
But if the symptoms of lethargy persist, it’s time to work out why.
1. Check your diet
The food we eat doesn’t only provide fuel for our bodies. It affects us in many other ways. For instance, if you’ve ever felt sleepy or drowsy in the early afternoon after a big meal. Keep an eye on the food you’re eating and eat a little bit healthier, even if it’s not every meal that’s healthy.
2. Sleep well
You need to sleep well as this is one of the times when your body repairs itself. If you’re suffering from a disrupted sleep pattern, start by going to bed at the same time every night so that your body knows that it’s time to sleep. If possible, do this without sleeping tablets but if you need them for a few nights until you get back into the habit of sleeping, don’t worry.
3. Reduce your alcohol and coffee intake
I know this sounds a bit odd, especially as caffeine and coffee are often used as pick me ups. But these drugs affect your body. Both of them can also affect how well you sleep at night. Don’t just stop drinking either of these though, cut down gradually otherwise you may get unwanted withdrawal symptoms.
4. Hypnotize yourself
You can find a specialist hypnosis track to overcome your lethargy here. All you need to do is play it to yourself and the hypnosis track will do the rest of the work for you.
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Facts about Tattoo Removal
November 15th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Research has shown that nearly half of those between the ages of 19 and 45 have a tattoo or several tattoos removall. The problem here is that a majority of those who have tattoos have later decided that they don’t want them anymore. The greatest charge to tattoos is dissatisfaction, which has conduced to a late addition in tattoo removal. It’s been proven in the past that women research their removal options more than men – due to the fact that men have less of a stigma when it comes to tattoos, also the problem that tattoo removal prices are pretty high now a days.
Frequently, the ink that’s used during tattoos can lead to contagion, just as the type of ink being used isn’t ordinance for tattoo lounges. Clean equipment is also essential with tattoo parlors; otherwise someone can end up with hepatitis B, C, and various other infections. There are many serious diseases and other sicknesses that can occur if a tattoo parlor doesn’t keep their materials and parlor clean.
In the event of infection or if someone just doesn’t like their tattoo, there are ways to get them removed. Skin grafting and dermabrasion are good examples of tattoo removal, although the most popular and most common these days is laser removal (going beyond other systems as tattoo removal creams). Laser removal is the fastest and by far the most preferred. With this surgery, the laser being used will zap the metal ions that are found in the pigment of the tattoo, fracturing the ink into very small pieces that the body can easily dispose of.
There are a lot great things almost laser tattoo removal, altho there are a few defective things as well. In some cases, where infection is involved, the surgery will be a bit different. First, you’ll need to get the infection out of the area before the tattoo can be removed. Dependant on how bad the transmission is, you may finish up staying in the hospital for a a couple of days. For this very reason – you should always make sure that the equipment is clean and sterile before you ever get a tattoo.
Laser tattoo removal can be very painful, depending on the area that you have the tattoo on. Almost all surgeons will use numbing ointment and local anesthetics before they do the removal, so you experience little to no pain. Even out altho you could believe that you’ve a high pressure margin for anguish and can deal with the discourse, you may still would like to take any type of blunting that you are able to get.
Before you decide to get a tattoo removed with laser removal, you should always make sure that you choose a surgeon you can trust. Lasers can be very grave, and there are all of the time fallouts and chances involved. Although laser tattoo removal cream is certainly not the top option for getting rid of a tattoo (but it is the cheapest option out there) – the best thing to do is think long and hard before you get one to begin with.
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