Identifying (and Responding to) Sleep Apnea
Besides the sound of your house being sawed in half, what happens when you snore? Your tongue’s so relaxed, it caves into the throat, blocking air passages. In rare cases, when snoring is extreme, sleep apnea is the diagnosis.
The Greek word apnea literally means without breath. Three types of apnea exist: obstructive, central, and mixed. Despite their differences in root causes, in all three, people with untreated apnea stop breathing repeatedly—sometimes hundreds of times a night for a minute or more.
In fact, a recent study found people who have obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death while asleep at night, a time typically not considered risky.
Sleep apnea is very common (as common as adult diabetes) and affects 15 million Americans. Are you an overweight man over 40? You can be at risk. Yet sleep apnea can strike anyone, even children.
Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and headaches. But fortunately, it can be diagnosed and treated. You or a family member need only listen for the symptoms!
Fight the Snore!
For serious snorer, we have an array of ways to treat sleep apnea. And among the best are simple oral appliances that clear the airway of obstruction. Close to 100% of our patients report positive results. And, no surprise, the rest of the family does so as well.
Your treatment can only be determined after a consultation and evaluation, so contact us today!
