Sleep Apnea
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have
one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to
minutes. They often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour.
Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or
choking sound.
Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition
that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights each week. You often move out of deep
sleep and into light sleep when your breathing pauses or becomes shallow.
This results in poor sleep quality that makes you
tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive
daytime sleepiness.
Overview
Sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed. Doctors usually
can't detect the condition during routine office visits. Also, there are no
blood tests for the condition.
Most people who have sleep apnea don't know they
have it because it only occurs during sleep. A family member and/or bed partner
may first notice the signs of sleep apnea.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive
sleep apnea. This most often means that the airway has collapsed or is blocked
during sleep. The blockage may cause shallow breathing or breathing pauses.
There are dental alternatives to the CPAP machines, many quite easy to use with no recurring costs. You should have a sleep study prior to treatment to diagnose your condition. Contact us at 673-3698 or your physician to order a sleep study. After that we can go over the risks, benefits, and alternatives to treat the condition. You should be aware of all treatment options prior to making a decision.
To locate more information, view the pages below this article. On the web, type in sleep apnea, sleep disorders, diagnosis and treatment in your search bar.