What Does Treating Sleep Apnea Involve?

Sleep is a natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and almost all parts of your body are resting. Sleep is an essential part of your daily life. It is critical to brain functions, how neurons communicate with one another, and your overall wellbeing. While you are asleep, a lot of beneficial processes take place in your body. For example, toxins that build up in your body while awake are removed during sleep. Therefore the essence of sleep as a part of your daily routine cannot be downplayed.

To be a healthy adult, you need at least about seven hours of sleep. However, not everyone gets up to seven hours of sleep due to health conditions and sleep disorders. A major sleep disorder common in both adults and children that serves as a significant hindrance to getting about seven hours of sound sleep is Sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that causes a person’s breathing to stop repeatedly while sleeping, causing loud snoring, daytime tiredness and leading to serious health problems including high blood pressure and heart trouble. Sleep is supposed to be a relaxed state through which your body is refreshed and reinvigorated; therefore, waking up tired after a whole night’s sleep can be a symptom of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can deprive your brain and the rest of your body of the oxygen they need during sleep. Refusal to go for a sleep apnea treatment in Dorval, QC can lead to stroke, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, etc. Untreated sleep apnea is also one of the leading causes of work-related accidents, unproductivity at work, motor accidents, unproductivity at school for children and adolescents.

Types Of Sleep Apnea

There are three types of sleep apnea known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea syndrome. The first two are the major types of sleep apnea, with the third as a combination of the two.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This is the most common type of sleep apnea, and it occurs as a result of repetitive instances of complete or partial blockage of the upper airway during sleep. This causes the diaphragm and the chest muscles to work harder as pressure increases to open the blocked airway. These instances can interfere with your sleep and reduce oxygen flow to your vital organs, causing your breathing to resume with a loud gasp or body jerk.

Central Sleep Apnea

With central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked. However, your breathing stops repeatedly because the brain fails in its function to signal the muscles to breathe as a result of instability in the respiratory control center. The cause of central sleep apnea is related to the operations of the central nervous system.

Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome

This is a condition in which a person has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Causes Of Sleep Apnea

What exactly causes sleep apnea? Well, the causes of sleep apnea vary according to their types.

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: This type of sleep apnea is caused by the relaxation of the muscles at the back of the throat. These muscles support many organs, and when they relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in. This obstructs your airflow, which in turn lowers the oxygen level in your blood. Your brain then causes you to awaken from your sleep by snorting, choking, or gasping as a result of your inability to breathe. Risk factors that increase your chances of having obstructive sleep apnea include nasal congestion, being overweight, smoking, taking alcohol, family history, old age, etc.
• Central Sleep Apnea: This occurs when your brain fails to transmit signals to your breathing muscles. Therefore, for a short period, you make no effort to breathe at all. The risk factors for central sleep apnea include old age, stroke, heart disorders, use of narcotic pain medications, being male, etc.

Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

You should go to Clinique Dentaire Dorval or see a dentist in Dorval, QC immediately you notice these symptoms of sleep apnea:

• Gasping for air during sleep.
• Irritability.
• Morning headache.
• Loud snoring.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, etc.

Sleep Apnea Solutions

There are a lot of approaches to sleep apnea treatment. Sleep apnea can be treated through mechanical therapy with devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that help to prevent the closure of the airway while sleeping. Sleep apnea treatment without CPAP involves mandibular advancement devices like a sleep apnea mouthpiece, surgery, and other conservative methods. Conservative methods of treating sleep apnea include losing weight, using wedge pillows, avoiding alcohol, etc.