Sleep Apnea Information

In Greek the word apnea means without breath, sleep apnea is a very serious condition which left untreated can be very dangerous. During sleep the sufferer’s breathing is frequently paused, the good news is, there is sleep apnea equipment and machines available that have been designed to treat and diagnose the condition.

One piece of equipment that is used to diagnose the problem and its severity is the overnight sleep test polysomnogram. The patient’s body is hooked up to the machinery and the brains waves are measured to read neurological arousal shifts. Blood oxygen is also measured with other pieces of sleep apnea equipment.

When the person is diagnosed with sleep apnea there is several different types of treatment available. One such treatment and probably the most common is CPAP ( continuous positive airway pressure) this form of treatment consists of a medical pump, a flexible tube and a mask which is worn over the face. Sometimes over the nose or month, or both the nose and month.

There are many more different pieces of sleep apnea equipment but probably the most effective of them all is a sleep apnea mask. There are different types of masks available, but more importantly the newer models are much more comfortable and fit securely. This could not be said about sleep apnea masks of old.

Some pieces of sleep apnea equipment will require a doctor’s prescription before you can buy or use them. CPAP machines and oral devices must be medically approved before they are sold as well.