Sleep Apnea

Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment is presenting a series on various conditions individuals may have. These articles will provide some background information for each and help you understand how our oxygen and medical equipment resources may be best suited for you or your senior loved one’s needs. Sleep apnea is defined as a potentially serious sleep disorder in which an involuntary stoppage of breathing occurs while a person is sleeping. An individual may have sleep apnea if loud snoring and not feeling completely rested even after a full night’s sleep is occurring. There are three main types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea– This is the most common form and occurs when the throat muscles relax.
• Central sleep apnea– This type of sleep apnea occurs when your brain is not sending the proper signals to the muscles which control breathing.
• Complex sleep apnea– Also referred to as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, this type occurs when a person has both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

Loud snoring is an indicator of a potentially serious problem, but not everyone with sleep apnea snores. Individuals with untreated sleep apnea will stop breathing several times a night, sometimes hundreds of times. This leads to the brain and body not getting enough oxygen. In addition to loud snoring, common symptoms include:

• Morning headaches
• Waking up with a dry mouth and throat
• Occasionally waking gasping or choking
• Lack of energy during the day
• Difficulty staying asleep
• Irritability, forgetfulness and mood changes

There are treatment options, such as losing weight, adjusting sleep positions, dental devices, surgery, and CPAP therapy, which can ease the symptoms and help prevent heart problems and other complications that can result from sleep apnea. The most common treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP therapy. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a treatment where the individual wears a mask over the nose and mouth while sleeping. The CPAP mask is connected to a small machine that is delivering continuous air flow to the nose, which in turn encourages regular breathing. There is also BiPAP, or bi-level positive airway pressure. This is similar to CPAP the air flow changes as the person breathes in and out. Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment hosts free CPAP clinics two times per year. These clinics are a great opportunity for CPAP or BiPAP users to learn more about their equipment, ensure the pressure setting is correct, learn how to properly clean the mask and equipment and much more. These free clinics are very popular with our customers and held at each of the eight Minneapolis/St. Paul metro Liberty Oxygen locations. Look for information on upcoming clinics on our website and be sure to stop in! CPAP technology and equipment is constantly changing and evolving, so it is important to stay abreast of the latest information. Whether you are buying your first CPAP mask or replacing a current one, when you think about your next mask purchase be sure to stop in one of our stores to try on the latest styles and find the fit best for you. Let the experts at Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment assist you with comfort and fit as well as teach you how to care for and properly use your CPAP equipment. Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment is the premier home medical equipment provider serving Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding Twin Cities suburbs with quality equipment and outstanding customer service. We enable you to stay safe and live independently in your home by offering a comprehensive array of home medical equipment and oxygen supplies, including CPAP masks and supplies. The friendly staff at each of our locations is educated and experienced with the current insurance procedures and can work with your insurance company to ensure your CPAP needs are covered. Your health and well-being is too important to trust to just anyone. Let the caring professionals at Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment assist you with the home medical equipment and other healthcare and oxygen supplies you need. Stop in any of our eight Minneapolis and St. Paul metro locations or contact us today with questions, concerns or comments.