Thursday, June 18, 2009

Sleep Apnea

APNEA n. – “a temporary suspension or absence of breathing.” Hopefully someone nearby will notice if you stop breathing during the day and if you’re lucky they will be CPR certified. I trust you are.

It’s a tougher problem at night when your breathing stops during sleep or slows to a dangerous level. Although this is not a rare condition, most people have no idea they have it.

If you rattle the neighbor’s dishes with your snoring, if you wake up suddenly gasping for air as if you’ve been too long under water, if your sleep mate notices that you have an erratic breathing pattern or if you wake up each morning as tired as when you went to bed - then it’s time to have a long discussion with your doctor or pulmonary specialist.

This is serious business and can be fatal. These days, doctors have gotten pretty good at testing for and correcting the condition. However, it is your job to bring your concerns to their attention.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.