Causes of Sleep Apnea

Secondary Apnea may be Treated through Proper Diet and Exercise

Causes of Sleep Apnea are varied and may be due to physical weight gain; and muscle tone.  The result may be mild Apnea and the disorder may be resolved by losing the weight and getting in better physical condition.   

By definition Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder where breathing ceases for a period of several seconds to a minute.  If the Sleep Apnea is not present if it weren't for the primary cause it may be classified as Secondary Apnea.  This infers the Sleep Apnea may be corrected as illustrated in the preceding example by addressing the issue that brought about the Secondary Apnea:  Initiating a healthier diet and exercise program may take care of the Secondary Apnea.  Once the Apnea sufferer loses weight and attains better muscle tone, he or she, in effect, will find the Apnea episodes disappear. 

The way you find out if you are truly experiencing Secondary Sleep Apnea is by way of a sleep lab:  This is essentially the only way Apnea may be truly diagnosed.  The laboratory will monitor respiration, brain waves and heart rate while you sleep.  If it is found you are experiencing Secondary Sleep Apnea it will be necessary that you engage in a weight loss program immediately since Apnea can lead to other ailments such as cardiovascular disease or a decrease in cognitive abilities.  I 

It makes little sense for you not to lose weight if weight gain is the cause, since the Apnea episodes can be corrected by proper diet and exercise.  In other words, you are in control of the situation and the Apnea, at this point, isn't something that is difficult to eliminate. 

In order to better illustrate Apnea, the following scenario applies:  During sleep, what occurs in the case of Secondary Sleep Apnea is the muscles in the back of the throat become relaxed.  As a result the pathways where you take in air collapse.  Blood oxygen levels decrease to very low levels causing an alarm to go off in the brain.  It is at this point, the sufferer generally responds by taking in a great deal of air to compensate for the timespan wherein oxygen became minimal.  This is the period of time too the Apnea sufferer stopped breathing for two seconds to one minute.  These type of episodes can occur many times per night or less frequently. 

Generally, you can suspect Secondary Sleep Apnea is happening if the sufferer wakes up grouchy and tired.  Also many persons who suffer from the sleeping disorder will report a sore throat and morning headache after a particularly bad night. 

Again, if the Secondary Sleep Apnea is due to weight gain this is something you can address by instituting a proper diet and exercise plan.  Some suffers of Apnea do not have the convenient option of eliminating the cause, as the reason for their Apnea may be something they can't address such as aging.  Persons in this category may need to rely on breathing devices or machines.