Sleep Apnea in Spring, TX

Sleep Apnea

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Understand The Basics

The most common type of sleep apnea is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA. In this type of apnea, the soft tissue of the palate and throat sags while you sleep, blocking your airway for 2-10 seconds or longer.  The blockage causes an interruption in breathing and blood oxygenation. This may occur dozens or even hundreds of times per night, leading to poor quality sleep, daytime drowsiness, and irritability.

Recognize The Signs

SNORING

If you have sleep apnea, your sleeping partner may notice prolonged, loud snoring accompanied by periodic interruptions in breathing. You may also make choking or gasping noises when you wake up.

IRRITABLE SYMPTOMS

In addition, you may wake up with a sore throat or dry mouth, have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and notice that you may have trouble paying attention during the day. If you notice one or more of these signs, you may want to see a specialist to find out if you have sleep apnea.

EXCESSIVE DROWSINESS DURING THE DAY

Sleep apnea can cause you to feel extremely tired when you wake up even after you’ve seemingly gotten a full night’s rest. This is because you wake up repeatedly throughout the night when your breathing pauses.

This can interfere with sleep quality and restfulness. However, it happens so quickly that you may not remember it. Daytime drowsiness can be dangerous because it can cause you to fall asleep at the wheel or get hurt on the job.

WAKING UP GASPING OR CHOKING

If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night feeling like you were choking or gasping for air, this is a clear sign of sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea, the tissues in the throat relax to the point that your airway becomes blocked.

This deprives the brain of oxygen and causes you to wake up to alert you to the fact that you need to restart your breathing. You may want to get x-rays taken to look for enlarged tissues that could be blocking your airway.

CHRONIC FATIGUE

Sleep apnea is considered a sleep disorder that interferes with your restfulness, which will result in feeling tired all the time. If you notice that you constantly feel tired no matter how many hours of sleep you’re getting, this could be a sign of sleep apnea, especially if there’s no other explainable reason for your fatigue.

DRY MOUTH/SORE THROAT

Most sleep apnea sufferers are mouth breathers. Breathing through your mouth at night will dry up your saliva, leaving you with Dry Mouth, which can lead to the feeling of a sore throat.

MORNING HEADACHE

When your brain is deprived of oxygen, the buildup of CO2 causes frequent headaches or migraines. If you wake up with headaches a lot, this could be a sign that you’re not breathing in your sleep.

DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING

When you have chronic fatigue, aren’t getting good quality sleep, and are frequently depriving your brain of oxygen, you will notice that you have a lack of concentration, which can cause work and school performance to deteriorate or it can be difficult to remember things.

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What Can Happen If Sleep Apnea Is Left Untreated?

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep Apnea Treatment Options

This depends on the extent of your apnea, and your specific situation. Lifestyle changes are often recommended as part of sleep apnea treatment. For example, avoiding alcohol and sedative medications before bed and ceasing smoking can help reduce the effects of obstructive sleep apnea. Overweight or obese people may also be able to lose weight to treat their sleep apnea.

Consultants In Dental Aesthetics partners with Houston Sleep Apnea to offer patients Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) with custom-built night guards. These night guards are designed to shift the jaw into a forward position during sleep, which eliminates the risk of tissue sagging and blocking the airway. This, in turn, prevents OSA and allows you to get a healthy, restful night of sleep.

However, in some cases, patients with very severe sleep apnea may require a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. This type of machine uses a pump and a mask to send a stream of positively pressurized air into the lungs as you sleep. This prevents the airway tissue from sagging.

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