Symptoms Causes Types Self
Sleep apnea is a common and underdiagnosed sleep disorder in which an individual's breathing repeatedly stops and starts during a night of sleep. Central sleep apnea is often caused by medical problems and conditions that affect the brainstem. The sleep environment is a very controllable part of restful sleep - whether you're sleeping during the day or at night. The neurological mechanism and the blood are not reacting quickly to maintain an even rate of respiration leading to apnea and hyper apnea (fast breathing).
When an apnea occurs, sleep usually is disrupted due to inadequate breathing and poor oxygen levels in the blood. Sleep apnea only exacerbates the situation, significantly increasing the health risks. It afflicts 20 million adult men and women in the U.S. People who have OSA stop breathing repeatedly during sleep because their airway collapses.
In extreme cases of this sleep disorder, doctors often recommend surgery to widen your airway and keep it open. A lot of patients have Obstructive Sleep Apnea and rely on snoring aids such as a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine to get a decent night's sleep.
The nonsurgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include behavior therapy , including weight loss , medications, dental appliances, continuous positive airway pressure, bi-level positive airway pressure, and auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure.
Some of these symptoms of sleep apnea can be confused with symptoms of depression because they are so similar; personality changes, irritability, mood swings, memory problems, feeling lethargic and perhaps even feeling depressed are some of the shared similarities.
On an average male snoring will arouse the spouse lowering her sleep efficiency rating to 73%. If you have tried other snoring aids and feel you could benefit from oral appliance sleep apnea treatment, contact Grady Dental today to schedule your initial consultation.
The most common symptom of OSA is sleepiness, with many patients describing sleep as unrefreshing. Relaxed muscles in your throat don't normally block your airway, but with sleep apnea, your airway becomes more narrow or blocked. Sleep apnea affects more than 12 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Dental, mouth or throat surgery can cause swelling in the lining or the mouth and throat also making sleep apnea worse. Tell your doctor if you have sleep apnea before having any medical procedure and before taking any new drug. It's also a good idea to avoid sleeping on your back, which has been shown to make snoring and symptoms worse because it presses your tongue and palate tissue against the back of your throat.
It was also noticed that problems related to sleep apnea happened following surgery particularly in people that are overweight, obese or had short necks. Stop all use of alcohol or sleep medicines as they relax the muscles in the back of the throat, making it harder for you to breathe.
