Sleep Apnea Life Insurance
Buying life insurance with sleep apnea is not always easy. Working with an agent that understands sleep apnea and life insurance can help you to save a lot of money. Most life insurance companies will charge extra premium if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea., but there are a select few that will not. There are a couple of life insurance companies that will ever offer Preferred rates if you medically qualify. You must consult with a life insurance agent that understands the markets to position you with one of these select companies. Sleep apnea occurs when you regularly stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of times in an hour that your breathing stops (apnea) or becomes very slow (hypopnea). Apnea episodes may occur from 5 to 50 times an hour.
There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea. This topic focuses on obstructive sleep apnea, which is also called OSA or simply sleep apnea. (OSA), which is the result of blocked airflow during sleep, results from narrowed airways. Other factors, such as obesity, often contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea, results from a problem with how the brain signals the breathing muscles. This type of apnea can occur with conditions such as heart failure, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke. Mixed sleep apnea, which is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.
The main cause of sleep apnea is the blockage or narrowing of the airways in your nose, mouth, or throat generally causes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This usually occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the airway.
Sleep apnea can also occur if you have bone deformities or larger than normal tissues in your nose, mouth, or throat. For example, you may have large tonsils. During the day when you are awake and standing up, this may not cause problems. However, when you lie down at night, your tonsils can press down on your airway, narrowing it and causing sleep apnea.
Lifestyle changes help with sleep apnea. The most common device utilized to help is a CPAP(continuous positive airway pressure) to prevent the airway from closing during sleep. Surgery is typically a last result effort if lifestyle changes and or a CPAP does not work.
The life insurance industry likes to see good compliance with full utilization of the CPAP machine. In addition, it may not be a bad idea to have a sleep study performed to measure how you are doing depending on your doctors thoughts. Make sure to review your options when buying life insurance and find an agent who will work with you and identify the right companies for your given situation.
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