Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects many people and represents the complete or partial obstruction of the upper airways, causing a momentary interruption of breathing.
This can cause sudden awakenings with the sensation of choking and other symptoms that impair the quality of rest. Scientific medical progress has led to an in-depth knowledge of this pathology and the introduction of various solutions to reduce its effects.
An effective method to counter sleep apnea episodes is to use a memory foam pillow. Let’s try to better analyze what are the symptoms and complications of this condition and how the use of a pillow with certain characteristics could limit the problem.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects the upper respiratory tract which, during the night’s rest, closes partially or completely, temporarily blocking breathing. The immediate consequence is a lower flow of oxygen into the blood, as well as a deterioration in the quality of sleep.
The disease affects men more frequently and in women it manifests itself more easily after menopause. Sleep apnea can cause single or repeated episodes of interruption of respiratory movements and is considered a chronic disease, meaning that it will accompany the sufferer for life.
Types of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is classified into two subtypes, namely:
- Obstructive sleep.
It represents the most common type that causes the suspension of breathing for 10/15 seconds. - Central of sleep.
In this case, the airways do not have any obstruction, however the passage of the air undergoes anyway alterations. The responsible of this phenomenon is the brain that modifies the stimulus of respiration. Central apnea affects patients suffering from heart failure, neuromuscular diseases (muscular dystrophy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or with lesions to the central nervous system.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Complications
Obstructive sleep apnea causes many ailments that occur, not only during the night, but also upon awakening and throughout the day.
The abrupt and repeated interruption of breathing movements in sleep causes wheezing, night snoring, restless rest, and sudden awakening with the sensation of suffocating. All this drastically worsens the quality of sleep and consequently affects the general psychophysical well-being. We could thus wake up in the morning with already a strong headache and during the day manifest episodes of excessive sleepiness, as well as difficulty concentrating and loss of attention.
The intensification or continuation of sleep apnea phenomena over time can lead to very serious health complications such as the appearance of cardiac arrhythmias, increased blood pressure, metabolic disorders, respiratory failure and cognitive and mood disorders.
The memory foam pillow can help against sleep apnea
We have just seen how sleep apnea, in addition to causing fragmentation of rest, can damage health and compromise the quality of life. Having even the slightest suspicion of suffering from this pathology it is good to consult a doctor as soon as possible. In doing so, we can implement a series of interventions to reduce symptoms.
Another remedy that brings immediate benefits is the replacement of the old pillow with an ergonomic memory foam pillow. This material is among the most used to make mattresses thanks to its high ability to self-model itself to the shape of the body and return adequate support to the body’s physiology.
Above all, a cervical pillow made of viscoelastic polyurethane foam creates a support able to adapt to the natural curvature of the neck and modifies the support according to the pressure exerted by the head and shoulders.
This allows a correct alignment of the cervical vertebrae and promotes relaxation of the muscles, as well as the maintenance of a correct posture during rest. All elements that helped to limit the episodes of obstruction of the upper respiratory tract and reduce the effects of sleep apnea.
A memory foam pillow is also a suitable solution for those who prefer to rest on their stomach or on their side, to better counteract the ailments caused by obstructive apnea.