Sleep apnea affects 12 million Americans and countless partners lying next to them who are trying to catch their zzzzs. The problem occurs when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep and blocks the airway causing the brain to awaken. Apnea sufferers end up gasping for air. Its a cycle which happens as often as 30 times an hour raising the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat and diabetes
But now theres hope for the restless. A study shows that regular treatment with a device that uses a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask reduces incidences of sleep apnea. The subjects who used it reported feeling less tired after only three weeks of treatment compared to those who used a placebo and reported no improvement.
Lianne Tomfohr of San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego, who led the reports: "These results are important as they highlight that patients who comply with CPAP therapy can find relief from fatigue and experience increases in energy and vigor after a relatively short treatment period." The study appears in the journal Sleep.
This is not the first time CPAP masks were researched. Several studies show that CPAP treatment can reduce health risks such as lowering the risk of stroke but this study shows the masks impact on sleep apnea and fatigue.
With CPAP available to apnea sufferers, they can now rest easy.
Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporter. Check for her daily updates. She is the author of Ten Days to Detox: How to Look and Feel a Decade Younger.
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