Saturday, December 9, 2006

Sleep Apnea and Pregnancy

It is a common thing for people to snore while they sleep. There are many people that do this and do not even realize it. Loud snoring is a sign that may lead to sleep apnea. When a person is suffering from this problem, they will stop breathing countless times a night while they are sleeping. They will however, start breathing again with a loud choking or gasping noise.

Having sleep apnea will put a lot of stress on the body. This is especially true for the heart. It will decrease the amount of oxygen found in the blood stream as well as the brain. Anyone can be a patient of sleep apnea. There are many reasons and checking with a doctor can be the only way to figure out what the cause is.

Studies are showing that sleep apnea is very common in pregnant women. During pregnancy, the lack of oxygen can become a very big problem for both the mother and the unborn baby. Many studies are researching this myth and finding the connection between sleep apnea and small birth weight. Being pregnant is stressful enough for some, and they do not need any added problems to deal with.

These studies are determining that women that are pregnant and have to deal with sleep apnea could have some complications with their pregnancy. These complications can include low birth weight and many other problems. For some women that have breathing problems normally, they may have to watch for severe asthma attacks.

It is important for a pregnant woman that is dealing with sleep apnea to get treatment as early as she can. Having this problem may end up restricting the fetus to grow, which will result in problems with the baby and could also lead to death. The sooner the problem gets fixed, the better off the woman and the baby will be. It is important to have a healthy pregnancy in order to have a healthier baby.

Getting help for sleep apnea is something that a woman can do with the help of her doctor. With the proper treatment, the woman will be able to get the sleep that she so needs and have a better time with her pregnancy. Sleep is something that everyone needs and that is especially true for pregnant woman who need their rest to take care of two people instead of just one.

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