You may need a sleep apnea test if you often wonder about the reason behind your loud snoring and daytime fatigue. This disorder can lower your energy levels, interfering with your performance at work or school and your quality of life. If sleep apnea is preventing you from having a good night’s sleep, your CPAP clinic Bridgewater specialist may recommend continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) therapy to improve your sleep and health.
Different forms of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is an annoying sleep disorder that interferes with the quality of your sleep by causing your breathing to halt and start again. If left untreated, this disorder can result in life-threatening conditions like heart trouble, high blood pressure, and daytime tiredness that affect your work performance or school. The signature symptom of sleep apnea is loud snoring. However, most people cannot differentiate between primary snoring and snoring resulting from a sleep disorder. The three different forms of sleep apnea include:
- Central sleep apnea
Central sleep apnea occurs due to the failure of your brain to instruct your muscles, the muscles responsible for breathing, due to respiratory issues. With this disorder, there is no airway blockage; your nerves don’t get the right signals.
- Obstructive sleep apnea
Many people are more familiar with this sleep disorder as it is the most prevalent. It occurs due to partial or complete blockage of your airways during sleep. This causes your chest muscles and diaphragm to work harder than usual to keep your airway open. You may jerk your body or breathe with loud gasps during these episodes.
- Complex sleep apnea
Medical experts refer to this disorder as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea. It occurs when you have both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.
How sleep apnea can disrupt your life
Untreated sleep apnea can result in fatal illnesses. This disorder is often associated with heart rate swings, brief electroencephalograph (EEG) arrhythmias, and a precipitous decrease in oxygen saturation. If you don’t seek immediate treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, you may be reducing your life span. The low oxygen levels during sleep apnea episodes trigger the hypothalamus to release hormones that stimulate the adrenal and pituitary glands. These events result in extreme stress and unwarranted body damage.
Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea
During your initial appointment, the Chase Dental Sleepcare team discusses your symptoms and reviews your medical history. They may recommend overnight monitoring at the office, designed to create a homely feeling. Your doctor may conduct nocturnal polysomnography, which involves hooking you up to equipment that monitors your leg movements, breathing patterns, and heart, lung, and brain activity. The team may also conduct home sleep tests to measure your blood oxygen levels, breathing patterns, and heart rate.
If you have mild sleep apnea, your physician may recommend a few lifestyle adjustments, like quitting smoking and losing weight. If this approach is ineffective, your doctor may recommend therapies such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliances, treatment for underlying causes, supplemental oxygen, and adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV).
Call the Respacare office or book your spot online to explore more about sleep apnea.
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