One chronic, potentially life threatening condition that can greatly affect your quality of life is sleep apnea. This is a sleep related breathing disorder that affects millions of people, characterized by pauses or lapses in breathing during sleep. With sleep apnea, a person often will awaken during the night, many times gasping for air due to a lack of oxygen that can last from a few seconds to minutes at a time. This occurs every night.
The only way to be diagnosed for sleep apnea is to have a sleep study. At Sun Valley Smile Designs, Dr. Calvert will perform a computerized airway analysis along with other advanced screening techniques to see if you are at risk for sleep apnea. A sleep study must then be performed to provide the actual diagnosis of sleep apnea. Today, this can be performed in your own bed, rather than having to travel to a sleep clinic. Dr. Calvert can provide you with a home sleep testing unit that will provide all the necessary data to allow a sleep physician to provide the proper diagnosis.
The physical reactions to your body while you sleep are; increased heart rate and stress on the cardiac muscles, reduction in oxygen (O2) to your vital organs down to as low as 60%, (normal pulse O2 is 95-100%), disruption of the hormones Leptin and Ghrelin which regulate appetite, thus causing weight gain and decreased mental acuity during the day.
This results in poor quality of sleep that brings about a plethora of health problems. Common symptoms include daytime sleepiness, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, and poor mental alertness, as well as physical health problems like high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, weight gain and heart attack among others. The blunt truth is that, all your bodily cells are being suffocated over and over every night while you sleep. The treatment of sleep apnea is crucial to improve your quality of life, achieve mind and body wellness and very possibly save your life.
While sleep apnea can be easily treated, the problem usually lies in the detection of this condition. Dr. Calvert’s extensive advanced training in the detection and treatment of sleep related breathing disorders can give you back your health, daily wellness and possibly save your life. Since it occurs during sleep, many patients often don’t know that they’re actually suffering from sleep apnea. We’ve, therefore, listed several symptoms to help you detect the presence of sleep apnea, so you can get yourself treated as soon as possible.
Loud Snoring
Sleep apnea is often accompanied by loud snoring, the kind that can wake up a bed partner in deep sleep. If a partner often complains about your loud snores, then maybe it’s time for you to get yourself checked for sleep apnea.
Extreme Tiredness or Sleepiness during Waking Hours
Less, and irregular, oxygen intake during sleep disrupts deep sleep. You wake up gasping for air occasionally, so you move out of deep sleep and fall into light sleep. This results in a less restful sleep; thus, bringing about that feeling of tiredness, drowsiness during waking hours. This makes concentrating in various activities very hard for you.
Teeth Grinding
Studies have shown that a high percentage of people with sleep apnea, grind their teeth; both of which most people are unaware of doing, since they are asleep.
Behavioral and Mood Changes
Not getting enough sleep every night can be detrimental to your behavior. Studies have shown that sleep apnea sufferers become more forgetful than before and easily irritated over little things. They also manifest a decreased interest in sex and frequent changes in mood. This can affect relationships, most especially if your friends or loved ones do not know that you have sleep apnea.
Morning Headaches and Migraines
We all need to rest at some point during a 24-hour period; thus, poor quality of sleep can give you severe headaches and migraines. You will become more addicted to coffee, yet find that this doesn’t help much in resolving your condition. Quality of sleep is what you need, which, for sleep apnea sufferers, can be a difficult feat.
Visit Sun Valley Smile Designs for Sleep Apnea Treatment in Ketchum, Id.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and feel that you have sleep apnea, visit us at Sun Valley Smile Designs in Ketchum, ID. Dr. John Calvert will perform diagnostic tests, to see if you do indeed have sleep apnea. Dr. Calvert will discuss with you your options which will include a team approach with a Sleep Physician. Treatment options can include the use of a CPAP machine or a very comfortable and very effective oral appliance that can only be designed and provided by a qualified dentist. Call to set an appointment at (208) 726-3457.
