Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which a sleeping person stops breathing for at least 10 seconds at a time. The sleeper’s airway becomes blocked, usually when the soft tissues of the tongue and/or throat relax and slide back to close off the airway. When the airway is blocked and the body isn’t receiving oxygen, the brain wakes the sleeper up to restore his/her breathing. Usually, the patient doesn’t come fully awake during these episodes, but instead suffers from what s/he perceives as very broken sleep. In reality, s/he is hardly sleeping at all.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, tossing and turning in bed, choking, gasping, and cessation of breathing. People with sleep apnea may be extremely tired during the day, to the point of falling asleep when they are talking, eating, or driving. Left untreated by sleep apnea specialists, the condition can lead to elevated blood pressure and heart problems, heart attacks, strokes, impotence, and depression.

Sleep apnea treatment usually begins with a patient's physician referring the patient to a sleep apnea specialist, who often will send the patient to a sleep disorder clinic, where his/her sleep patterns are monitored to determine if the patient has sleep apnea. Once a diagnosis has been made, treatment usually includes lifestyle changes, use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, medications, and in cases that don’t respond to other treatments, surgery. Sleep apena specialists most frequently begin with treatment with lifestyle changes and CPAP machines.

The Mobility Shop in Sydney, NSW, offers a complete line of CPAP machines, as well as other superior disability and aged products. If your physician has recommended you try using a CPAP machine, please call us at 1-300-133-505 (a valid number nationwide), or e-mail us at sales@mobilityshop.com.au