When we think of Memorial Day, we often think of an extended weekend, grilling out and catching a Memorial Day Parade, but there are many other ways to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  This weekend, CPAP Central is encouraging everyone to go out and make this Memorial Day the day we take the opportunity to dive deeper into acts of gratitude for our military.

Here are 4 ways you can get more involved this Memorial Day:

1. Have you ever considered writing a thank you letter to someone in the military? A Million Thanks makes sending a letter to a man or woman in the military extremely easy so get the kids together and make a memorable card for those serving our country!
2. Have you found a military-connected cause to be passionate about? We found a couple that may hold a special place for your or someone you love:
   1. United Through Reading – Fund a program that creates DVDs of service member reading bedtime story to children that children can then enjoy while parent is deployed.
   2. Operation Shower – Fund a program that throws baby showers for expecting moms whose husbands are deployed.
3. Have you visited one of the VA’s National Cemeteries? There are currently 131 national cemeteries in 40 states and 33 soldier’s lots and monument sites.  Think about starting up a tradition of placing flags or flowers on soldiers’ graves for Memorial Day.
4. Have you considered volunteering in your community? A great way to honor those who have served our country is by serving our own community.

Of course, we would still recommend attending your local Memorial Day celebration, but hopefully one of these four opportunities sparked your interest.  Most importantly, everyone at CPAP Central wishes you a very happy and safe Memorial Day!

 

There are many times when we try to ignore problems. The hope is that if we don’t do anything, the issue will go away on its own. This is not a wise approach to take when it comes to sleep apnea. Letting sleep apnea go untreated leads to several dangerous health side effects, and CPAP Central wants to make sure you’re aware of them.

 

Surgery Complications: If you’re having any kind of major surgery that will require you to go under general anesthesia. If you don’t tell your doctor about the symptoms that could be related to sleep apnea, surgery turns into a dangerous situation. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, being sedated and lying on your back can worsen your condition. If you’re having surgery, you should tell your doctor about your symptoms.

 

Daytime Drowsiness: Letting sleep apnea go untreated means you’re not getting the best quality sleep that you can.  If you’re sleeping is disrupted at night, you’re also going to be impacted during the day too. Sleep apnea will make you drowsy and will impact your concentration. If you want to improve your focus and have more energy, you should tell your doctor about your symptoms.

 

Heart Complications: In some cases, ignoring sleep apnea can have fatal consequences. Studies have shown a link between sleep apnea and hypertension, also known as high blood pressure.  Undiagnosed sleep apnea can aggravate an existing heart condition because you’re losing oxygen during your sleep, which could lead to an unexpected death.

 

If you’re experiencing symptoms like snoring, feeling tired during the day and waking up suddenly while feeling short of breath, you may have sleep apnea. If you ignore these symptoms, the side effects are dangerous, and sometimes fatal. CPAP Central is here to help you if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea.  Contact us so we can help find the CPAP machines and CPAP masks to help you sleep easier at night.

If you know about sleep apnea, you likely know all about its symptoms. You know about the snoring, the waking up and feeling shortness of breath, the daytime drowsiness and the inability to focus. But there are several symptoms that you may not know about, and many of them can impact your heart.

 

Building Up Pressure

Sleep apnea, especially obstructive sleep apnea, can increase your risk for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Because sleep apnea deprives you of oxygen why you sleep, it causes your blood vessels to work harder to deliver oxygenated blood to the rest of your body. When left untreated, this condition impacts you even when you’re not trying to sleep.

 

Making Conditions Worse

If you have a form of sleep apnea, it could make an underlying heart condition worse and lead to further complications. Sleep apnea increases your risk for a stroke, even if you don’t have high blood pressure and can also increase your risk for an abnormal heart rhythm. Without treatment, sleep apnea can also lead to congestive heart failure, a potentially fatal condition.

 

Treating The Issue

While the list of impacts sleep apnea can have on your heart and your body is a long one, the good news is the condition is also very treatable. The most effective form of treatment for sleep apnea is with CPAP therapy, which uses air pressure to help you breathe while you sleep.

 

CPAP Central is here to help you treat your sleep apnea. We have several CPAP machines and CPAP masks that are designed to be easy to use so you can treat your case of sleep apnea effectively. Contact CPAP Central to consult with one of our experts and get your treatment started.

In honor of Cinco De Mayo, the team at CPAP Central is driving awareness towards the issue of snoring, and more specifically, the causes of snoring.  We are passionate about this issue because one of the most common causes is sleep apnea, which if left untreated, will lead to a long list of major health complications.

First thing’s first, snoring occurs when air can’t move freely through your nose or mouth as you sleep.  This often means for some reason, your airway is narrowing or you have an obstruction which vibrates when you try to force airflow.  Now, let’s get to the causes:

1. Sleep Apnea

Snoring is a very common symptom of sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is a serious condition where the tissues of your throat block your airway and actually prevent you from breathing.  Apneas are basically events where you’ve stopped breathing.  This condition is easily treated through CPAP therapy, but if left untreated, will lead to many negative health conditions.

2. Mouth Anatomy

Snoring often occurs when an individual presents a low, thick soft palate or extra tissue surrounding the back of their throat, often found in individuals who are overweight.  This can sometimes be treated by either losing weight or starting CPAP therapy.

3. Deviated Septum

Snoring can also be caused by a deviated nasal septum.  A deviated nasal septum is when the cartilage and bone in the middle of the nasal cavity are dramatically crooked or off-center.

4. Nasal Congestion

If snoring has suddenly occurred, you may be suffering from nasal congestion, but beware because nasal congestion can be a sign of sinus infection.  Snoring should cease as soon as you are over your cold or have treated your sinus infection.

5. Alcohol Consumption

Yes, some people only snore when they drink.  It is a proven fact that alcohol relaxes your throat muscles and prevents your body from fighting airway obstruction.  This also proves that you don’t always get a good night’s sleep after a night of heavy drinking because, while you slept in, you may not have gotten quality sleep.

No matter what the cause of your snoring is, the effect is less sleep, interrupted sleep or low quality sleep.  When you’re not getting the sleep you need, your body wears out.  CPAP Central wants to live as comfortably as possible, so get to the doctor and find out why you’re snoring.  If a CPAP is what you need, CPAP Central is here to help!