More and more of us are being diagnosed with sleep disorders – and those diagnoses can come with very high costs if ignored. One prominent disorder that is becoming particularly common and costly is obstructive sleep apnea, which is often just referred to as OSA. Millions of people worldwide suffer from this condition and the numbers are growing fast.

It’s a condition caused by the obstruction of the upper airway that results in repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep that can lead to daytime sleepiness or fatigue. Sleep apnea also increases health risks, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression, weight gain and obesity.

You may not realise that you have sleep apnea but the most prominent symptom is loud snoring, with often your breathing stops because the back of the throat collapses during sleep, blocking the airway. This is then followed by a visible gasp for air as you wake briefly. If you sleep alone you won’t realise it’s happening even if you know that you snore. However not all people who snore have sleep apnea. It’s not unique to that condition.

If you think that you suffer from OSA it’s critical that you take steps to control it and prevent it developing. With a number of medically approved sleep apnea treatment products now available online, this isn’t hard to do. Many products claim that they have been tried and tested but only some, like those from SleepPro, have published the findings online. The British NHS put SleepPro through extensive testing and recommends them highly, publishing their findings in The Lancet, the leading British Medical Journal.

Their two key recommendations for custom-made oral appliances were:

• SleepPro Custom should be offered as first line treatment for mild OSA and any form of snoring
• SleepPro Custom should be offered as an alternative to CPAP for the treatment of moderate OSA

The most prescribed treatment for sleep apnea in the past has been the nightly use of a CPAP machine which comprises a mask that fits over the nose and mouth that provides constant airflow, keeping the airway open and the sleeper breathing throughout the night. This is now often reserved for the chronic sufferer. Mild to moderate cases are usually recommended to use a custom-made mouthpiece, as CPAP rejection is high. Many of those supplied with this expensive and cumbersome equipment find it either an uncomfortable experience, and even claustrophobic, and consequently use it rarely which defeats the object. It is also not easily portable so not taken on holidays, weekends away, or when people travel on business.

Oral appliances are now the main sleep apnea treatment products used. This has happened for many reasons including the ease of availability with no prescription required, their cost, simplicity of use, the higher acceptance of the treatment, and also that it is a much more comfortable experience. They are easily portable of course and this can be important for some.
Custom-made sleep apnea treatment products can be expensive from some sources, but they are readily available online at reasonable prices. The SleepPro Custom is a prime example of this and has been widely used for a number of years by many satisfied online buyers all over the world.

If you know that you snore, but aren’t sure if you have obstructive sleep apnea then SleepPro will soon be able to help you find out easily with a simple, inexpensive home test unit that will give you the defined answer. Wear the watch-like data unit overnight and send it back to us so we can download the data. Our consultant physiologist will analyse this and we’ll contact you with the accurate medical findings, plus advise you of the best action on your part to resolve your problem. It will be a small price to pay for a longer life. The service will be UK based and it starts soon.

As ever, SleepPro strive to lead the way in online treatment products and services for sleep apnea so watch the website for an announcement of this new service. However if you’re a subscriber to the SleepPro Newsletter we’ll mail you all the details anyway.