Today we are finding more and more people being diagnosed with sleep apnea, a serious sleeping disorder which occurs when your regular breathing is interrupted while sleeping. People with sleep apnea usually snore but not all people who snore have Sleep Apnea. There are two main types of sleep apnea. The most common is called obstructive sleep apnea this occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat collapses while sleeping blocking the airflow. Various health factors can contribute to this as well as being overweight. The other type is central sleep apnea which is caused by the brains failure to signal the breathing muscles. This type of sleep apnea can occur if a person has heart failure, brain tumors, brain infections or a stroke. Although sleep apnea affects people of all ages, male or female, it seems men are more likely to develop this disorder. The risk is also greater if you are over 40, overweight, have large tonsils, large tongue, small jaw, a family history of sleep apnea, a nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, allergies or sinus problems. Sleep apnea, when left untreated can cause a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, diabetes, depression and worsening of ADHD. Don’t be alarmed. Sleep apnea is treatable. These are a few of the options: Adjusting your sleep habits which can be something as easy as sleeping on your side, continuous positive air pressure from using a CPAP, surgery to remove tonsils, wearing an oral appliance which can shift and support the jaw to prevent the airway from collapsing. For people who have a mild to moderate case of sleep apnea studies have proven, wearing an oral device while sleeping is very effective in the prevention of sleep apnea. If you suffer from sleep apnea Dr Nichols can help! Schedule your appointment today to find out how Dr. Nichols can help you get the sleep you deserve and live a healthy life!
