Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects nearly a billion people in the world. It is a sleep disorder that involves cessations of breathing throughout the night. These pauses can significantly disrupt sleep, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, and other health issues. 

The mainstay treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) which is a large mask that fits over the nose and mouth and provides enough pressure to keep the airway from collapsing. Due to the size of the CPAP machine, and the tubes and discomfort, many individuals may choose to not use a CPAP, which can worsen and prolong their disease. 

However, new technology may offer something a little more comfortable: Micro CPAP. We are going to review what they are and how they work so you can talk with your doctor to see if it's the best option for you. 

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a machine used for those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a sleep disorder that is characterized by multiple cessations in breathing throughout the night. OSA can have negative consequences like excessive daytime sleepiness, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. It's important to be properly diagnosed using a sleep study, or a polysomnography, and then treated with a CPAP. 

CPAP therapy provides significant relief to those with OSA. Untreated individuals often gasp and choke while trying to breathe. CPAP delivers enough pressurized air to help sleepers breathing passages remain open. THis can significantly reduce sleep apnea symptoms, but can cause some side effects like dry mouth.

Humidifiers for your CPAP can reduce some of these negative issues. Some models even have built-in humidifiers to make it easier. It's important to take care of your CPAP by using the proper water. Is that tap, or is distilled the best? Continue reading for more information about why distilled is the best water to use in your humidifier. 

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that impacts your ability to breathe during the night. Although discussed as a part of adult health, children could also be at risk for sleep apnea. It's important that you recognize if your child has sleep apnea and get them the proper help as proper oxygenation and quality sleep is important for their growth and development. 

Sleep disorders have one thing in common, they interrupt sleep. Therefore, it's important that if you have a sleep disorder, you find the problem before the accumulation of interrupted sleep leads to chronic sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is more than just being tired. It can negatively impact several organ systems, including your heart. Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, so it's important to do everything possible to maintain its health - including getting enough sleep. Continue reading to find out how common sleeping disorders can lead to cardiovascular disease!

Are you or a loved one a CPAP user? They are the mainstay treatment for significantly improving sleep apnea, but up to 50% of people stop using them within one year. Why? One reason is how daunting the maintenance of their equipment is. At first, it might seem overwhelming but understand with time it will become as routine as brushing your teeth. 

Is it time to upgrade your CPAP?

The holiday season has arrived! Not only should you be excited, but there is so much to look forward to. Time with family and friends, shopping, and traveling are all many things that we take part in during the holiday season. However, for patients with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), going untreated while traveling can put them at risk for serious health consequences and, perhaps, ruin their trip as well. Sleep apnea doesn’t take a holiday, so it's important to continue treating it during yours. Here are a few quick tips to make traveling with sleep apnea a little less cumbersome.

Importance of Just Snoring vs Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Chronic, loud snoring may be a bigger personal problem than just a nuisance for other people who have to listen to your nightly nasally noises. In other words, while their sleep might be disrupted, your snoring might be caused by a medical condition called sleep apnea, which can have significant health consequences. Or, maybe you are just a loud, chronic snorer.

Knowing the difference and telltale signs between loud snoring and sleep apnea is important, as identifying the potential problem underlying your chronic snoring is the first step to getting healthy again.