Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep apnea is often characterized as disturbances in breathing while sleeping and is often accompanied by snoring. It is estimated that 1-15 Americans are diagnosed with sleep apnea, and many others are un-diagnosed.
Those who have sleep apnea experience pauses in their breathing, or extremely shallow breathing, while they are asleep, most frequently due to a collapsed or blocked airway. These pauses can last only a few seconds, or can last for minutes at a time. Eventually the sufferer takes a deep breath to compensate for the lack of air, often producing a loud snorting sound that wakes them up, thus disrupting their sleep.
Snoring is typically seen as an annoying, sometimes embarrassing night time occurrence, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Snoring can be an indication of a more serious issue related to your breathing. We recommend visiting with Dr. Koplow to discuss your snoring so you can be sure that there are not additional sleep apnea symptoms that need to be addressed, and to resolve your snoring habit.
- Do you experience any of the following symptoms?
- Loud snoring, which tends to be disruptive
- Episodes of breathing cessation while sleeping
- Abrupt awakenings, followed by shortness of breath
- Dry mouth or sore throat in the mornings
- Morning headaches
- Irritability
- Hypersomnia or insomnia
Sleep apnea and snoring can result in restless nights and poor sleep, without a good night’s rest, it’s hard to keep up with your day-to-day life. Because your sleep pattern is constantly being disrupted, your body’s stress levels are elevated which may elevate your blood pressure. Another concern is that the constant lack of oxygen may also increase your risk of developing heart disease.
Keep yourself healthy by seeking care for your sleep apnea and snoring as soon as possible.
For more information or to make your appointment, please call our office at 719.473.9222.