You've undoubtedly heard that the most essential things you can do for your cardiovascular health are regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet.

Sleep apnea is defined in the dictionary.
Particularly, untreated sleep apnea is directly associated with a higher risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. What portion is the scariest? You may not even be aware that you have this widespread problem.

Modvigil 200 mg (Provigil) and Modalert 200 mg is used to treat excessive sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy and residual sleepiness in certain cases of sleep apnea. Scientists believe the drug affects the sleep-wake centers in the brain. The most common side effect is a headache.

Sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway muscles relax during sleep and clamp off the airway, preventing you from obtaining adequate oxygen. "Your breathing may pause for 10 seconds or more at a time until your reflexes kick in and you resume breathing," says Jonathan Jun, M.D.,at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center, an expert in pulmonary and sleep medicine.

According to Jun, at over 20% of obese persons have sleep apnea, compared to roughly 3% of those with normal weight. Sleep apnea is more common in males than in women. Yet, following menopause, the prevalence of sleep apnea in women soars. Heart disease and metabolic conditions like diabetes are often linked to sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are the two types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when air cannot flow into or out of the nose or mouth despite your efforts to breathe. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send the proper signals to your muscles to begin breathing. (This is a less common type.)

"The bed partner may notice sleep apnea more than the sleeper," Jun says. "Your bed partner may notice pauses in your breathing or complain about your loud snoring."

However, snoring, while annoying, is not the same as sleep apnea. Snoring is simply the sound of vibration caused by airway resistance. You can snore loudly without having sleep apnea, and you can have sleep apnea without snoring at all.

Because their breathing interruptions constantly wake them up and prevent them from falling into a deep, nourishing sleep, people with sleep apnea may also experience unexplained fatigue and mood swings.

According to Jun, the consequences can be severe. "We're talking about daytime car accidents, lost productivity at work, mood swings, waking up groggy, and falling asleep in class."

Other sufferers may wake up with a dry mouth because sleep apnea causes you to breathe with your mouth open, drying out your saliva. Some people wake up with a headache, which could be the result of low oxygen or high carbon dioxide levels during sleep.