Sleep Apnea
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Between 50 and 70 million Americans are living with sleeping disorders, with an estimated 22 million of these individuals suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep-related condition that causes individuals to stop and start breathing as they sleep spontaneously. Since prolonged difficulty breathing can lead to oxygen deprivation, sleep apnea is a severe medical condition that might cause other health complications if left untreated.
Sleep apnea affects a person’s respirations by causing loud breathing, periods of no breathing, and mouth-breathing. However, this condition also has a notable impact on a person’s energy levels, the quality of their sleep, and other metabolic functions such as mood and weight.
Our advanced trained sleep apnea doctor, Dr. Brian McDowell, consults, evaluates, and create a custom treatment plan for patients in Fitchburg and the surrounding areas. Schedule a consultation with our team to begin your journey and improve your overall quality of sleep life with a custom orthotic from Brian C. McDowell DDS.
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
Are you having trouble sleeping through the night? One of the most common signs of sleep apnea is feeling tired from the moment you wake up in the morning. The constant fatigue takes a strain on your body and emotional health, leading to an ongoing cycle of daytime sleepiness, fatigue, headaches, and potentially other serious medical issues such as stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
Different Types of Sleep Apnea
Some people think that all sleep apnea cases look alike, but there are three kinds of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea or OSA is a type of sleep apnea in which the relaxation of the throat muscles causes intermittent airway blockage. Tissues and muscles in the throat, such as the tongue and soft palate, expand when relaxed. This expansion blocks the airway and prevents a person from breathing.
- Central sleep apnea, or CSA, presents similarly to OSA since it leads someone to stop and start breathing as they sleep intermittently. However, the root source of CSA is very different, so treatment options will also be different.
- Mixed sleep apnea is a mix of OSA and CSA. When someone who has mixed sleep apnea is sleeping, their cycle starts with symptoms of central sleep apnea and ends with symptoms more akin to those of obstructive sleep apnea. Individuals with mixed sleep apnea are typically treated for sleep apnea that starts off their sleep cycle.
The significant difference between the first two is that central sleep apnea stems from improper brain signals that trigger the respiratory system to breathe while you are asleep, which makes it neurological in nature.
Schedule A Consultation At Brian McDowell, DDS
Call our team today at 978-252-2049 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Brian McDowell to be evaluated for sleep apnea. With over 30 years of experience, our office has treated patients for sleep apnea from Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Leominster, Westminster, Gardner, and many surrounding areas.