Gastrointestinal Problems and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Everyone knows how important it is to get a good night of sleep. Tossing and turning during the night can negatively impact how we feel in terms of energy and mood the next morning. Unfortunately, if you have a chronic Gastrointestinal problem you may wake up frequently due to gas pain and bloating. Another unfortunate and common scenario is you also have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and your breathing pauses anywhere from five to over 30 times an hour? Gastrointestinal problems and obstructive sleep apnea are a double healthy whammy. It is almost impossible to get sleep that restores your mind, body and soul.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Explained
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which people who are affected stop breathing throughout the course of a night’s sleep due to an airway obstruction. With no or little air freely flowing to the lungs, there is a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood. The brain sends out a “911 emergency” signal to the body. The person wakes up momentarily to clear the airway and get oxygen. The emergency life or death signal the body receives is very taxing on the body.
An individual with sleep apnea can have any or all of the following symptoms:
- Snoring
- Daytime sleepiness
- Poor concentration
- Memory loss
- Morning headache
- Fatigue
- Fragmented sleep
- Alerted mood
Regrettably, around 80 percent of people with sleep apnea are not properly diagnosed and therefore also not treated. When left untreated, people are at a higher risk for a host of other, often life-threatening health conditions. These include but are not limited to: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity.