Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common problem that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. This can lead to irritability, poor concentration, depression, and anxiety. It may also cause problems with your heart and blood vessels, which can raise your risk of heart attack or stroke. In addition, untreated sleep apnea can increase your risk of diabetes and weight gain.
There are two main types of sleep apnea Gowling Green KY: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). In OSA, your throat muscles relax and narrow or block your airway, leading to the pauses in breathing. In CSA, your brain loses control of the muscles that initiate and control breathing. Both types can be associated with loud snoring, but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.
In many cases, lifestyle changes can improve sleep apnea symptoms. Changing your sleeping habits, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco can help. In some cases, your healthcare provider may recommend a positive airway pressure device, oral appliance, or surgery to help keep your airway open. Your healthcare provider will create a personalized treatment plan to reduce the impact of your sleep apnea on your health. It is important to follow your treatment plan closely and communicate with your provider about any ongoing symptoms or challenges you are experiencing. This will help you get the best results from your treatment.
Symptoms
Symptoms of sleep apnea can be subtle, but it is important to talk to your doctor if you experience any of them. Sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
Breathing pauses during sleep cause your body to lose oxygen, which can affect the way you feel throughout the day. The repeated pauses can also lead to a lack of restful sleep. This can have a significant impact on your quality of life, making it difficult to work, think clearly and concentrate.
In obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles that support your airway relax, narrowing or closing as you breathe in. This can prevent oxygen from reaching the brain, causing your breathing to stop for several seconds. Your brain senses this interruption in your breath and briefly rouses you from sleep to restart it. This can happen dozens of times per hour. You may snore or make choking or gasping sounds during these waking periods.
Obstructive sleep apnea Gowling Green KY can affect people of all ages and genders. However, older adults are more likely to have it. Other risk factors include being male, having a family history of it, smoking and being overweight. The condition can also be more common in people with enlarged tonsils or in those who have high blood pressure.
Diagnosis
If you have sleep apnea, it’s important to get diagnosed because untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease. To diagnose you, your doctor will review your symptoms and conduct a physical exam. They may also ask you to keep a sleep diary for one or two weeks. This will help you track your sleeping habits, such as how often you wake up during the night, whether you experience choking or gasping, and how rested you feel in the morning. Keeping a sleep diary can help your doctor decide if further testing is needed, such as a polysomnogram.
The polysomnogram is a test that measures your heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity while you’re asleep. It can help identify apneas, hypopneas, or respiratory effort-related arousals (RERAs). The results from the polysomnogram will determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common form of the condition and caused by a blockage in your airway. If your polysomnogram indicates that you have obstructive sleep pnea, the doctor may recommend treatment for you.
Treatment
If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk for long-term problems. These include high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and poor concentration. It also can lead to accidents at home and work and affect your quality of life. Fortunately, there are many treatments available to help you get the restful sleep you need.
Your treatment plan may begin with lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, quitting smoking and sleeping on your side instead of your back. These techniques might reduce snoring and improve your ability to breathe freely. Your healthcare provider may also recommend avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bed, as they can relax the throat muscles and worsen your snoring.
Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea bowling green ky. These devices deliver a constant flow of air into the throat to keep the airway open. Different PAP machines deliver varying levels of air pressure, and some are auto-adjusting. Your healthcare provider will suggest a machine best suited for your needs.
Surgery is another option for a small number of people with OSA. In this procedure, a surgeon removes excess tissue from the back of the mouth and throat (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty). They might also remove your tonsils and adenoids. In addition, your healthcare provider might recommend a jaw or nasal surgery to change the structure of your jaw so that soft tissues won’t press back against the throat.