What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious disorder in which breathing stops and starts in cycles. If you snore and feel tired after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.
How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Me?
Sleep apnea has been linked to obesity, stress on your heart (CAD, HTN, heart disease, arrhythmias, sudden death), GERD, nocturia, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, mood disturbance and poor sleep. Many people with OSA are excessively sleepy during the day which can make it difficult to work, and can even lead to job loss. Increased chances of falling asleep while driving a car, watching television, reading, talking on the telephone, or even while eating a meal.
Why Do I Snore?
Snoring happens when air does not move freely through your nose and throat while sleeping. This makes the surrounding tissues vibrate, producing a familiar snoring sound. Those who snore may have too much throat and nasal tissue that is prone to vibrate.
How Do I Stop Snoring?
To stop snoring, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes such as, weight loss, avoid alcohol consumption before bedtime, treat allergies, positional therapy such as sleeping on your side instead of on your back, quit smoking and sleeping with your head elevated to name a few.
How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
Treatment begins with a sleep study that will be read and diagnosed by a certified sleep physician. Therapy can include lifestyle changes, CPAP machine, oral appliance or surgery.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax. These muscles support the soft palate, the uvula, tonsils, side walls of the throat and the tongue. When the muscles relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in. Causing it to be difficult to get enough air, lowering the oxygen level in your blood. Your brain senses your inability to breathe and rouses you from sleep so that you can reopen your airway. This awakening is brief that you don’t remember it. It can cause you to snort, choke or gasp. This pattern may repeat from 5 to 30 times or more each hour, while sleeping, impairing your ability to reach a deep, restful phases of sleep.
What Is Central Sleep Apnea?
Central Sleep Apnea occurs when your brain fails to send signals to your breathing muscles. This means that you are not making an effort to breathe for a short period. You might awaken with shortness of breath or have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep.
What Is CPAP Therapy?
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. You could benefit from using a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask while you sleep. With CPAP, the air pressure is slightly greater than that of the surrounding air and is just enough to keep your upper airway open, helping to prevent apnea and snoring. The mask come in different varieties based on needs and preference.
What Is Oral Appliance Therapy?
Oral appliance therapy is another option, wearing an oral appliance which is designed to keep your throat open. CPAP can be more effective than oral appliances in severe cases, but oral appliances can be easier to use. An oral appliance is a custom made orthotic device to fit you specifically. Designed to open your airway by slightly moving your jaw forward, which can help relieve snoring in mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
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