By Marguerite Arnold

Sleep apnea is a disorder where sufferers experience regular interruptions in breathing while they sleep. The name literally means “without breath” in Greek.

Patients can experience as many as 30 interruptions per hour. These breath stoppages jolt people out of deep sleep. The condition reduces the amount and quality of sleep per night.

Why? This condition affects all aspects of the sleep cycle, including both REM and non-REM stages. As a result, sufferers struggle to stay awake during the day.

Worse, there is no easy diagnosis. There is no easy “test.” 80% of those with moderate to even severe symptoms remain undiagnosed.

The good news? Cannabis appears to be able to help.

Apnea Description Cannabis

WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?

The simplest definition is that it is a condition in which sufferers cannot get enough oxygen as they sleep. In turn, this causes them to wake up constantly at night.

There are two kinds of sleep apnea.

  1. Obstructive apnea: This is the most common form of the disorder. It results from a blockage of the airway. This is either a temporary collapse or blockage. The obstruction also causes the sufferer to snore and snort as the trapped air manages to escape.
  2. Central apnea: This is a far more serious kind of apnea. It comes from brain damage or disease. Central apnea occurs when the brain cannot coordinate with breathing muscles. This kind of apnea usually occurs in patients with underlying neurological conditions, brain damage, or those on some prescription drugs.

Men are far more likely to experience sleep apnea than women. The risk factors also increase with age.

There are people with a genetic predisposition to the disorder. Health conditions like diabetes can also increase your risk of developing this condition.

When doctors diagnose the condition, they will use a variety of approaches. Sometimes they will take a physical exam. However, they will usually ask you a battery of questions. They might ask you (or a loved one) to monitor and record your sleep habits. You will be queried about sleep quality, insomnia, and the reasons for it. Doctors who suspect apnea will be looking for certain patterns.

These are also things you can start to track if you suspect you might have the symptoms of apnea.

Symptoms Apnea

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SLEEP APNEA?

You may not be cognisant of the symptoms as a cluster until you think about it. However, this is what to watch for:

  1. Chronic daytime fatigue
  2. Headaches as you wake up
  3. Restless sleep patterns
  4. Cognitive problems including memory loss, learning problems, or lack of concentration
  5. Mood swings that can range from mild irritation to depression and personality changes
  6. Frequently waking up during the night to use the bathroom (A recent study[1] found that more than 84% of patients with sleep apnea make multiple nightly trips to the bathroom)
  7. Sore or dry mouth when waking up
  8. Problems swallowing
  9. Changes in voice inflection or tone
  10. Shortness of breath
  11. Weakness or numbness

CANNABIS AS TREATMENT FOR SLEEP APNEA

There are several conventional treatments for this condition. They include everything from surgery to lifestyle changes.

Treatment also usually includes a CPAP machine. This stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It consists of a mask connected to a machine that blows air down the windpipe to keep the airway open.

Increasingly, however, the medical community is looking at how cannabis might help those who suffer with the condition.

A 2002 study[2] on rats with sleep apnea showed that THC promoted normal breathing. The study was based on observations that cannabis can limit the effect of serotonin in cells in the inferior ganglion of the vagus nerve. This nerve plays a major role in breathing sensations.

This finding in turn led to an extension of research in human subjects. The first THC and sleep apnea study on human subjects tested effects of different doses of THC on 17 sleep apnea patients. The study found that patients experienced an average symptom reduction of 32%.

The study also suggested that higher doses of THC can also result in better effects for patients.

Both studies have concluded that more research is desperately needed. And sadly, at the moment, most research on sleep apnea and medical marijuana is in preclinical stages.

Apnea Cpap Mask

HOW DOES MEDICAL CANNABIS HELP SLEEP APNEA SYMPTOMS?

Medical cannabis can help sufferers in several ways.

Beyond potentially improving brain function, medical marijuana is well-known to help alleviate many of the immediate symptoms of apnea.

The first is deepening the quality of sleep. Even in situations where sufferers wake up in the night, those who use cannabis find such disruptions are not as frequent. And when they occur, they can also get back to sleep much easier. Cannabis can be a great relaxant. And the less anxious patients are, the faster they will go back to sleep.

Apnea patients also find that using the drug during the day can help address some of the other problems that come with the condition. These includes mood changes and irritation.

PICKING THE RIGHT CANNABIS TREATMENT FOR APNEA

Sleep apnea is a medical condition where sufferers frequently do not smoke. It irritates already strained respiratory systems. The same is true of vaping, even though medical vapes are designed to reduce any toxins released.

Edibles and topicals are the best bets for patients who have respiratory problems. If you can find them, you also might try a cannabinoid patch.

THE BEST STRAINS OF CANNABIS TO TREAT SLEEP APNEA

If exploring the use of cannabis to treat this condition, try to loop-in your cannabis-friendly doctor. They do exist. However, a doctor cannot ultimately tell you how you feel. There is a certain amount of experimentation that goes along with prescription. Yet, indica-dominant/hybrid strains with high CBD and THC are a good place to start. These include strains like Blue Mystic and Royal Cookies.

External Resources:
  1. Nighttime Urination and Sleep Apnea - Sleep Apnea https://www.sleepapnea.org
  2. Functional Role for Cannabinoids in Respiratory Stability During Sleep - PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: