Snoring can be an indicator of many things; congestion, allergies, or something more serious – like sleep apnea. Typically, however, snoring indicates a sleep disorder like sleep apnea when it’s excessively loud. For instance, if you sleep next to someone, they may frequently complain about how loud you are throughout the night – or you could even end up waking the whole house! If this sounds familiar to you, don’t ignore your snoring. While it may be difficult to reach a diagnosis – if left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can actually lead to other, more dangerous, health complications. (more…)
Would An Oral Appliance Benefit You?
We’ve covered oral appliance therapy before, so you’re probably familiar with it by now. However, familiarity with the treatment and knowing how it can benefit you are two totally different things. More and more people who suffer from sleep apnea are leaning towards this treatment method, as opposed to using a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) device – but why? Oral appliances may benefit you in more ways than one; by treating your sleep apnea and helping you to maintain oxygen intake and also, just by being comfortable. (more…)
Can Children Have Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea – a sleep disorder that causes breathing cessations throughout the sleep cycle – is often diagnosed in adults. Even then, though, because the symptoms often occur when the sufferer is unconscious, many cases of sleep apnea go undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed). Many people assume that because the risk for sleep disorders increases with age, children don’t suffer from them. However, this is far from true – children can suffer from them, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In fact, it creates the same risks for health complications if left untreated and can be just as difficult to diagnose as it is in adults. (more…)
How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Your Heart?
By now, you’ve probably heard that sleep apnea can cause other health complications. What you may not understand is, this sleep disorder can, in fact, dangerously affect your heart. Whether you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or central, you experience breathing cessations throughout your sleep cycle, causing your body to go without oxygen for sporadic periods of time. While doctors are still unsure of the exact relationship between the two, studies have shown that the risk for heart disease and heart attack greatly decreases when a patient is treating their sleep apnea. (more…)
When Do You Visit The Doctor For Sleep Apnea?
Knowing that you’re suffering from a sleep disorder can be tricky – while you’re undoubtedly tired throughout the day, it could present more similarly to a medical condition like fatigue or depression. When, in reality, you’re waking several times throughout the night because your body is lacking the oxygen it needs, and you’re not getting a full night’s rest. This is the reason many people who suffer from sleep apnea go undiagnosed – or even misdiagnosed. Furthermore, leaving the disorder untreated (whether your have a diagnosis or not) can lead to other dangerous health complications. So, how do you know when you should visit your doctor for sleep apnea? (more…)
Are You At Risk For Sleep Apnea?
When most people think of the sleep disorder, sleep apnea, there are typically two things that come to mind; age and weight. And, while these are undoubtedly two major risk factors, you don’t have to be over-the-hill or overweight to suffer from the disorder. In fact, there are a variety of other health conditions and outside factors that can encourage muscle relaxation or – in the case of central sleep apnea – your brain. Are you at risk for sleep apnea? If you know you are, it’s likely that you’ll seek a diagnosis before the disorder can cause any further health complications. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure, the disorder could easily go undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed). (more…)
A Comparison Of Sleep Apnea Treatments
Suffering from a sleep disorder can feel like an uphill battle, especially when it’s often misdiagnosed. The symptoms you experience while awake can point to several other medical conditions including fatigue or depression. The most obvious symptoms often occur throughout the sleep cycle, making it difficult for patients to be aware of their happenings. However, treating sleep apnea is absolutely critical, especially if it’s been ongoing for an extended period of time. Without treatment, apnea has been known to increase risks for other health complications that affect vital organs like your heart and liver. So, let’s compare two treatment options for sleep apnea; CPAP machines and oral appliances. (more…)
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is often overlooked because it occurs throughout the sleep cycle, meaning patients are typically unconscious when the condition affects them most. Even though you may experience symptoms throughout the day time, these are usually broad signs – like headaches or fatigue – that could also point to a number of other medical conditions. Excessively loud snoring that disrupts your sleep or the sleep of those around you is likely to indicate a sleep disorder that’s hindering your oxygen intake. In addition to snoring, someone else may notice that you’re having a difficult time breathing – or not breathing at all – for periods of time throughout the night. All of these signs likely point to issues you’re most likely unaware of, but there’s good news! Diagnosing sleep apnea is rather simple as there is only one test that can definitively determine the condition – a sleep study. (more…)
Second-Hand Sleep Disorder Effects
When you’re exhausted during the day and feel frustrated with morning headaches, you’re doing a lot of thinking about yourself. For good reason, of course – losing sleep will result in a long list of uncomfortable side effects that impact everything from your social life to your physical wellbeing. However, have you stopped to think about the way the second-hand effects of your sleep disorder may disrupting the life of your loved one? Learn a bit more and seek snoring or sleep apnea treatment right away.
3 Sleep Apnea Myths Vs. Facts
Sleep apnea can be difficult to diagnose since it occurs throughout your sleep cycle and many patients are unaware of their actions during. The symptoms that present with this sleep disorder can also point to other conditions such as fatigue or depression, leaving it often overlooked. There are many misunderstandings when it comes to sleep apnea – whether it be about diagnosing, treatments, or even just understanding the disorder in general. Often times, patients will think they’re “too young” or “too skinny” to be having these issues, but sleep apnea can be caused by a multitude of different things. So, let’s debunk those myths and give you the facts! (more…)
