How is Daytime Fatigue Tied to Sleep Apnea?

If you are consistently tired during the day even though you seem to be getting an adequate number of hours of sleep each night, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea symptoms stem from the interruption of breathing during sleep, which ultimately affects your ability to get sufficient rest.

Some people suffer from sleep apnea but don’t realize it. If you regularly experience daytime fatigue symptoms like not feeling refreshed upon waking up or an intense, unexplained need to take naps during the day, it’s best to see a doctor as soon as possible for a medical evaluation.

One of the most common initial signs of sleep apnea is extremely loud nighttime snoring. If the disorder persists, daytime fatigue could get worse with prolonged interruption to your sleep patterns. However, these are only two items in a lengthy list of sleep apnea symptoms, including:

• Morning headaches
• Jolting awake with a feeling like you’re gasping for breath
• High blood pressure
• Weight gain
• Insomnia
• Short-term memory problems
• An inability to concentrate when awake
• Limited energy level
• Depression or anxiety

If you are suffering from daytime fatigue or experiencing physical, mental or emotional symptoms like the ones mentioned above, it is important to get evaluated for sleep apnea. This breathing disorder can be life-threatening if not diagnosed in a timely fashion and treated properly.

To find out more about sleep apnea symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and other information, please contact a sleep doctor in your area or call 1-866-727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today.

Are Surgeries to Treat Sleep Apnea Safe?

The most common variety of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where blockages in the airway momentarily stop breathing during sleep. If you have this disorder, you and your doctor can discuss treatment options that address the severity and specific circumstances of your health. In very serious cases, sleep apnea surgery is a potential option.

Some sleep apnea treatments use medication, an oral appliance or other methods to relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea. The goal of surgery procedures is to increase the size of the airway and reduce the presence of obstructions permanently.

Sleep apnea surgeries can be conducted on parts of the airway such as:

• Tonsils
• Tongue
• Soft palate
• Uvula
• Adenoids
• Jaw
• Throat tissue

While sleep apnea surgery can offer permanent relief for breathing problems during sleep, surgery is a much more intensive, invasive treatment method than many other remedies, sometimes requiring a lengthy recovery period.

Most doctors will recommend trying a less drastic approach before surgery. Your sleep doctor will work closely with you to determine the cause of your apnea and initial treatment options that suit your condition. If necessary, you can discuss the potential benefits of sleep apnea surgery if other treatments are ineffective.

If you’d like more information about sleep apnea surgery, please contact a sleep physician in your area or call 1-866-727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today to schedule your initial consultation.

How Do Dentists Treat Sleep Apnea?

Patients who are dissatisfied with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device and reluctant to undergo surgery for sleep apnea might find relief for the debilitating effects of this sleep disorder by visiting a dentist. If you suffer from interrupted breathing during sleep caused by obstruction of the airway, a qualified sleep apnea dentist can evaluate your health and recommend treatment options.

Though your dentist’s recommendation will vary based on the unique circumstances of your condition, a common sleep apnea treatment involves the use of a specially made oral appliance. Oral appliances come in many different forms and serve many different functions to help keep your airway open during sleep and alleviate the severity of sleep apnea, including:

• Holding the jaw forward
• Realigning the bite
• Repositioning soft tissue like the tongue or soft palate
• Holding the tongue forward
• Strengthening the tongue to keep it from sagging and obstructing the airway

When selecting a dentist to treat sleep apnea, be sure the provider has extensive knowledge of apnea and other sleep-related breathing disorders in order to get informed diagnosis and treatment options. It’s also imperative for the effectiveness of the oral appliance that the device be fitted properly to match the unique structure of your mouth.

Once your oral appliance is in place, maintain an appointment with your dentist at least every six months for the first year of sleep apnea treatment to ensure the functionality of the device and make sure it fits properly within your mouth.

To find out more about potential dental solutions for sleeping disorders, please contact asleep apnea dentist in your area or call 1-866-727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today.

What Snoring Could Say about Your Blood Pressure

The only time most healthy people receive a blood pressure reading is at their yearly checkup at the doctor's office. But snoring and other breathing problems during sleep can be a symptom of a very serious medical condition: sleep apnea. If you are snoring at night, it’s important to contact a sleep doctor to begin receiving diagnosis and treatment.

You might not even be aware that you’re snoring until your significant other or housemate in an adjoining room complains about the noise. Loud snoring is an indication that your airway is being obstructed during sleep.

While occasional snoring is normal and non-harmful, snoring every night could be one of the earliest indicators that you’re suffering from sleep apnea, a condition where breathing becomes interrupted during sleep. One of the many serious symptoms of sleep apnea is diminished oxygen content in the blood, which can increase the risk of high blood pressure.

High blood pressure, medically known as hypertension, is another serious medical condition that makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. High blood pressure can be asymptomatic in its early stages, making it hard for patients with the disorder to know when to seek treatment. However, regular appointments with your doctor can help track your blood pressure so it doesn’t reach critical levels.

Early detection might reduce your risk of potentially serious complications such as:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Diminished kidney function
• Damage to blood vessels in the eyes
• Cognitive impairment affecting memory and learning abilities.

If you’re snoring at night, please contact a sleep doctor in your area or call 1-866-727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today to schedule a blood pressure evaluation and learn about steps for treating sleep apnea.