Sleep apnea, or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep because the airway becomes obstructed, usually by the soft tissue in the back of your throat. Your body responds by waking you up just enough to move, rousing you out of deep sleep, disturbing normal sleep patterns, and causing you not to get enough rest. Those with OSA can experience hundreds of episodes each night without being aware of it.
How serious is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
OSA is a serious, chronic problem that when left untreated, can contribute to numerous health problems, including:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease and stroke
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Depression
- Driving or work-related accidents
- Memory loss
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Extreme fatigue
- Decreased sex drive
- Impaired concentration
What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
There are many symptoms and side effects of OSA:
- Extremely loud, disruptive snoring
- Choking or gasping for breath while sleeping
- Waking up with headaches and dry throat
- Having trouble concentrating
- Memory or learning problems
- General irritability, mood swings or depression
- Chronic sleepiness — feeling tired all the time even if it seems like you’re getting enough hours of sleep at night
- Nodding off easily (For example, while reading, watching TV or stopped at a traffic light
Can Sleep Apnea be treated?
Fortunately, OSA has several treatment options, including using a CPAP machine, surgery, lifestyle changes, and oral appliances. Once you have been diagnosed with OSA, your medical team can help you determine which one is the right solution for you.
CPAP
If you have been diagnosed with or know someone with OSA, the odds are that you’ve heard of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP. CPAP is a safe, elective treatment for OSA where constant, mild air pressure is delivered through a mask worn at night. This keeps the airway open, which prevents apnea from occurring. CPAP therapy does have some drawbacks that may lead patients to stop using the machine, including discomfort wearing the mask while sleeping, difficulty transporting the equipment while traveling, irritation with the noise created by the CPAP machine, and difficulty exhaling against the flow of air from the machine.
Surgery
Several surgical options may help those with OSA, including widening the breathing passages, removing the tonsils, shrinking or stiffening excess tissue, or removing excess tissue. It is important to weigh all of the costs and potential risk factors when considering surgery as a course of treatment.
Lifestyle Changes
For those with mild OSA, making a few lifestyle changes can help. Losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol or medicines that make you drowsy, sleeping on your side instead of your back, and using nasal sprays or allergy medicines at night can all help OSA. Please talk with your doctor before making any major lifestyle changes to discuss their risks and benefits.
OSA
OSA can be easily and effectively treated with a specially-made oral appliance that helps properly position the jaw so that your airways stay open all night. The appliance, similar to an athletic bite guard, helps stabilize the lower jaw and tongue and reposition them to make room for the air you need to breathe easily and sleep better.