You have known some things about sleep apnea, or perhaps you or a loved one believe they may have it. It’s important to seek a professional quickly to find out if you have it and what can be done. If you do believe you may have sleep apnea, contact a sleep apnea dentist nyc quickly. Keep reading to find out more about sleep apnea and find out what the next steps can be.
Sleep apnea is a type of sleeping disorder that happens when someone is interrupted in their sleep by their breathing pattern. The issue with sleep apnea is if someone is constantly being disrupted with their sleep with their breathing this can mean a lack of oxygen going to the brain. This ends up being a lot more serious.
Many people do not know they have sleep apnea. Their partners may ask and that is the first sign they have any issues. Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea are a loud snorer, times in which they stop breathing, gasping for breath during sleep, having a dry mouth when waking up, having a dry mouth when awake, becoming irritable (from being woken up during sleep) during the daytime, and many other similar symptoms.
There are three main types of sleep apnea. The first is obstructive, which happens when the muscles in the throat are relaxed. The next is central, which happens when the brain is not telling the muscles to control the breathing properly. The final is complex, which means you have both and treatment needs to be had immediately.
If you do not get your sleep apnea treated there are a lot of negative consequences. Some of these consequences are high blood pressure, having a stroke, diabetes, depression, heart issues and it can even lead to death. When oxygen is not getting to the brain when it should be, so many health issues occur. You may not always notice them immediately, but over time they will continue to get worse.
It’s important that you seek advice from a professional if you believe you have sleep apnea. Although loud snoring could be one of the side effects of your sleep apnea, this is not to say everything that snores has it. That is why it is important to speak with someone that you can explain more too. To come prepared for the appointment you can do some homework before your appointment. Bring some notes about how you sleep, when you wake up, how you feel throughout the day and any other symptoms you may be experiencing. Ask your sleeping partner to assist you if they have anything to add to it. They may say you have been choking or gasping for breath during the night. This is normal with sleep apnea and is important for the specialist to know about.
Prior to your appointment, it’s also important to know if they take insurance and find out exactly how much your insurance provider will be covering. Your insurance may not cover a sleep center, if so plan to budget that into and be upfront with the center that you are paying out of pocket, they may have cash discounts.
Once you are at the doctor’s, they will be able to better diagnose you, before they do this it may be required that you have different tests complete depending on your first conversation with them. One of the most common tests is an overnight sleep at their location. You will have a sleep study monitor connected to you that will track your heart rate, airflow as well as blood oxygen levels. This will not only tell you if you have sleep apnea but how severe it is. This will better allow the specialist to know how to treat you.
There are so many different methods are treating sleep apnea depends on the severity of yours. Sometimes, the solution can start right there at the office that day. Others of having a CPAP which is a mark to put over your nose and mouth. It will blow air softly so there is never a shortage of air going into your body. Another solution is to have a dental appliance that will place your lower jaw and tongue into a different position. Make sure you book a dental appointment and speak with your dentist openly about this option. The final option is the most extreme and that is having surgery. Upper airway surgery will remove any tissue that is obstructing the airway of the breathing. This ensures there is nothing obstructing the airway when they are sleeping. This should solve the sleep apnea issues and assist you in getting a better night sleep.
It can be a scary feeling hearing that you may have sleep apnea. However, it is scarier hearing from your sleeping partner that you sleep breathing in the night or gasp for breath. Sleep apnea can vary in severity and that is why it’s important to speak with a specialist right away.
Once you do get the help you need you will instantly notice how much better you are sleeping. You will feel better mentally and physically because you got a restful night sleep. Your partner may even start sleeping better because they are no longer worried about your sleeping patterns. Do everyone a favor and get it checked out right away!
If you are looking to learn more about sleep apnea, contact us today. We are ready to answer your questions and get you the conclusion you have been looking for. Contact us today!