Q & A
Millions of people in the US have sleep apnea—suffering through restless nights, sleep deprivation, low oxygenation, and headaches, all without recognizing their symptoms.
Q: What Is Sleep Apnea?
A: This sleeping disorder is divided into two main types: obstructive and central sleep apnea. Both occur when breathing becomes very shallow or stops for short durations while sleeping, and can occur hundreds of times throughout a single sleep cycle.
Q: How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Me?
A: There are many symptoms of sleep apnea that are easily recognizable to the suffer. These include loud, chronic snoring, waking up choking or out of breath, restless sleep cycles, early morning headaches, daily fatigue, and difficulty falling or staying asleep. If a patient takes depression, blood pressure, or GERD medications, or is clinically overweight, those medication may also contribute to a sleep apnea disorder.
Q: Is Sleep Deprivation Harmful To My Health?
A: Sleep apnea can disrupt a patient’s deep sleep cycle, causing persistent sleep deprivation. Not only can this make a person feel tired and fatigued throughout the day, it can also lead to increased risk for high blood pressure, depression, headaches, ADHD symptoms, diabetes, stroke, and heart failure.
Q: What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
A: Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when a patient’s throat muscles relax and obstruct airflow, interrupting the natural breathing cycle.
Q: What is CPAP Therapy?
CPAP, is also known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. Using a mask, the CPAP machine presses air gently through the nose and mouth and into the lungs. The consistent pressure allows the sleeping patient to take deep, uninterrupted breaths, without the tissues in the back of the throat collapsing. However, some patients react negatively to CPAP, since in some cases the machine can cause extreme discomfort. Dr. Garcia offers snoring treatment alternatives for those who are CPAP-intolerant.
Q: What is Oral Appliance Therapy?
A: Oral Appliance Therapy treats sleep apnea through fitted appliances that reposition the mouth to increase airflow. The most common appliance is a MRD or mandibular repositioning device. These move the jaw into a forward position, lifting the palate and increasing space located behind the tongue. But to fit each of our patients, Sleep Better Katy offers a variety of appliances including: ResMed Narval CC™, TAP® 3, SUAD™, and SomnoDent® Flex.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352090
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea/obstructive-sleep-apnea