Sleep Apnea Information
Sleep apnea is a condition which causes a person to quit breathing. These cessations in breathing, called apneas, can be as short as a few seconds or as long as several minutes. A patient can have anywhere from 5 to 30 apneas in an hour, depending on the type and severity of his or her condition.
Sleep apnea affects both men and women, primarily over the age of 40. However, younger people, and even children, can have it too. It is estimated that sleep apnea is as prevalent as adult diabetes, but many people who suffer from it do not know they have it. There is a great deal of sleep apnea information now available on the Internet, but widespread media coverage is lacking, and many people still know little, if anything, about the disorder.
Sleep apnea is serious, and can even have life threatening consequences. Studies have linked it to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, irregular heartbeat, and a greater chance of stroke or heart attack.
There are three types of sleep apnea-obstructive, central, and complex. Obstructive is the most common type. It is caused by throat muscles collapsing and blocking air passageways. Central sleep apnea is rarer, and has to do with neurons in the brain not signaling the body to breathe. Complex sleep apnea is the rarest form, and is a mixture of OSA and CSA.
Sleep apnea symptoms include daytime fatigue, loud snoring and waking up several times throughout the night. Based on these symptoms alone, self-diagnosis is very difficult. A person who suspects he or she has sleep apnea needs to rely on more than information gathered through online research. She or he needs to see a doctor or a dentist for a conclusive, professional diagnosis. Only then can treatment options be explored.
Treatment varies according to the type of sleep apnea and its severity. Surgery is normally used for the most severe cases. Other treatments in include CPAP therapy and a sleep apnea oral appliance. Oral appliances are custom made by dentists and are designed to keep throat passageways open and help natural breathing occur. The Cosmetic Dentistry Center makes these devices and provides them to many sleep apnea patients who have tried CPAP, but find wearing a mask and being hooked up to a machine too much to deal with when they are trying to sleep.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Sleep Apnea Information
Causes of Sleep Apnea
Call our office if you think you might have sleep apnea and schedul an appointment for an evaluation of your condition.
Sleep apnea affects both men and women, primarily over the age of 40. However, younger people, and even children, can have it too. It is estimated that sleep apnea is as prevalent as adult diabetes, but many people who suffer from it do not know they have it. There is a great deal of sleep apnea information now available on the Internet, but widespread media coverage is lacking, and many people still know little, if anything, about the disorder.
Sleep apnea is serious, and can even have life threatening consequences. Studies have linked it to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, irregular heartbeat, and a greater chance of stroke or heart attack.
There are three types of sleep apnea-obstructive, central, and complex. Obstructive is the most common type. It is caused by throat muscles collapsing and blocking air passageways. Central sleep apnea is rarer, and has to do with neurons in the brain not signaling the body to breathe. Complex sleep apnea is the rarest form, and is a mixture of OSA and CSA.
Sleep apnea symptoms include daytime fatigue, loud snoring and waking up several times throughout the night. Based on these symptoms alone, self-diagnosis is very difficult. A person who suspects he or she has sleep apnea needs to rely on more than information gathered through online research. She or he needs to see a doctor or a dentist for a conclusive, professional diagnosis. Only then can treatment options be explored.
Treatment varies according to the type of sleep apnea and its severity. Surgery is normally used for the most severe cases. Other treatments in include CPAP therapy and a sleep apnea oral appliance. Oral appliances are custom made by dentists and are designed to keep throat passageways open and help natural breathing occur. The Cosmetic Dentistry Center makes these devices and provides them to many sleep apnea patients who have tried CPAP, but find wearing a mask and being hooked up to a machine too much to deal with when they are trying to sleep.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Sleep Apnea Information
Causes of Sleep Apnea
Call our office if you think you might have sleep apnea and schedul an appointment for an evaluation of your condition.
Labels: obstructive sleep apnea, sleep apnea, sleep disorders, SomnoDent MAS
posted by Dental Expert at
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