Sleep Apnea Treatment Near Me

Does your kid have severe sleep apnea that causes signs that prevent him/her from working? If yes, he/she is an eligible candidate for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disease in which the person faces difficulty breathing during sleep. It means the person’s breathing repeatedly stops and begins. 

The breathing pause lasts for at least ten seconds. This involuntary pause can result either from the signalling issue in the brain or due to a blocked airway. Many people are unaware it’s the major cause of other health issues.

Types of Apnea

They are usually of three types: 

a) Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

OSA is the most common type that occurs when muscles located in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open.

b) Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)

CSA occurs when the brain fails to send a signal to the muscles while breathing. It is more common amongst older adults, mainly those who are age 65.

c) Complex Sleep Apnea

It is the blend of central sleep and obstructive sleep apnea.

Causes of Sleep Apnea

There are tons of factors that contribute to the increased risk of this sleep disorder. This includes:

-Being overweight: Your risk of getting sleep apnea is higher if you have a body mass index of 25 or more.
-Smoking and alcohol addiction: Drinking alcohol and smoking can also contribute to this serious sleep disorder. It usually causes a buildup of mucus and inflammation in the throat- both of which cause blockage of the airway.

-Having a recessed chin.
-A small jaw or a big overbite.
-Having 40 age or more: This disorder is common between young adulthood and middle age.
-Having a small upper airway or big tonsils, tongue, or uvula.
-A large neck size:  if you have a large neck size (17 inches or greater in a man or 16 inches or greater in a woman) that means a larger neck has more soft tissue. It can block your airway during sleep.
-Ethnicity (Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Hispanics).
-Family history: Sleep apnea is a heritable disorder, which means you have a high risk of getting it if any family member has it.

Central Sleep Apnea Causes

Central sleep apnea can cause serious disorders like stroke, heart attack, neurological disorders, brainstem or spinal injury. Conditions that cause or lead to CSA include:

-Severe obesity
-Consumption of narcotic painkillers
-Issues that affect the brainstem like cervical spine, stroke, or brain infection

Symptoms

It can be hard to identify this condition on your own since most of the major signs occur when you are asleep. Also, it can be a potentially serious disorder. Thus, it’s best to contact a sleep apnea doctor instantly if you spot the following warning signs.

-Loud snoring
-Sleepiness
-Low blood oxygen levels
-Restless sleep 
-Sudden smothering, gasping or choking sounds every night
-Irritability
-Issue in concentrating

-Sexual dysfunction
-Morning headache
-Dry mouth
-Silent pauses in breathing
-Memory and learning issues
-Chest pain at night time
-Insomnia
-Nocturia (walking during nighttime to go to the bathroom)
-Low sexual desire
-Daytime sleepiness and fatigue even if you sleep 8 hours
-Sore throat
-Weakness

Tell your sleep apnea specialist near you about any sleep issue that leaves you chronically fatigued, irritable, or sleepy.

Also, remember that excess daytime sleepiness may be due to other disorders like chronic sleep deprivation (not allowing you to sleep at night) or narcolepsy (sudden attacks of sleep).

Facts

-Approximately 18 million American people have this condition, but only 20% have been diagnosed and cured.
-Near about 1 in 5 adults face mild signs of OSA while 1 in 15 has moderate to severe symptoms.
-It is an independent risk factor for hypertension.
-Although it is more common in people aged 50 and more, it can affect people of all sexes and age groups, including kids.
-Menopausal and postmenopausal ladies have a high risk of getting obstructive sleep apnea.

Does Snoring Mean Sleep Apnea?

Just note that not every person who snores has sleep apnea and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. The biggest sign is that normal snoring does not affect the quality of your sleep as sleep apnea does.

It means that in case of sleep disorder, you feel sleepiness and fatigue during the daytime. The best way to determine the symptoms is to record your sleep activity or ask your bed partner to observe your sleeping habits.

Dangers

If you fail to treat the disorder on time, it may result in other severe risks like:

-Depression and heart disorders (like heart attack, cardiac arrhythmia, and stroke).
-It can also leave an individual drowsy, which ultimately raises his chances of accidents while working or driving a vehicle.
-Excess sleepiness during the daytime.
-Difficulty in concentrating.
-Mood and memory issues.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Diagnosis of sleep apnea may require you to contact a sleep specialist and take a sleep apnea clinic based test or home sleep test. If the doctor spots central sleep apnea, he is likely to perform a physical exam, take into account your medical history, and advise a sleep history.

He will conduct an overnight sleep study known as a polysomnogram. This test is typically performed in a sleep lab under the direct supervision of a skilled technologist.

During the test, the following body functioning may be examined:

-Airflow
-Blood oxygen levels
-The electrical activity of the brain
-Heart rate
-Eye movements
-Breathing patterns
-Muscle activity

Treating this disorder may positively impact your life by boosting energy levels, alertness, and happiness. It even help you lead a happier and healthier life. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a therapy used to treat sleep apnea types.

In this method, the patient wears a mask or nasal mask at the time of sleeping. It is connected to a pump that offers positive airflow into nasal passages and keeps airways open during sleep. The health advantages of this therapy can be huge only if the patient uses it correctly.

Sleep apnea doctors near you usually advise obese people who face sleep apnea. Its because weight loss may help them fight disturbed breathing during sleep. However, those who are slim can also be affected by this disorder.

Many people feel uncomfortable while wearing the mask. They may have side effects like nasal congestion, headaches, sore eyes, and abdominal bloating. Thus, it’s a good idea to buy CPAP masks that fit the face perfectly.

If you are facing any side effects from wearing the equipment, talk to the snoring doctor near you for assistance. Also, if you have insomnia, you can talk about this to know about treatment options.

Note that some prescription sleep aids bought at the store may impair breathing in OSA patients. One such exception is ramelteon, which does not cause any breathing problems.

Other ways of treating sleep apnea include:

-Upper airway surgery (where tissue in the airway is eliminated).
-Use of dental appliances (that helps to reposition the lower jaw and tongue).
-Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (where a simulator is implanted at the chest of the patient with the lead linked to breathing sensor.

-Hypoglossal nerve – It’s a nerve that controls tongue movement).
-Nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (where the disposable valve covers the nostrils)
-Use of an implantable device known as Remede System (it is advised for patients with moderate to severe central sleep apnea. This small machine is usually placed via surgery under the skin in the upper chest region).
-Medicine that helps to enhance DS includes theophylline, acetazolamide, and sedative-hypnotic agents.

What Lifestyle Changes is Essential?

Here are effective lifestyle changes that you can make to mitigate the effects fully.

a) Quit alcohol, smoking, sedatives, and sleeping pills

Cigarette smoking and alcohol use cause swelling in upper airways and frequent awakenings in the nighttime, thereby making sleep apnea even worse. Also, avoid any sedatives and sleeping pills mainly before bedtime because they relax the throat muscles and interfere with breathing.

b) Lie your body correctly

It has been proved that people facing mild sleep apnea or heavy snoring have minimal breathing issues when they lie on their sides instead of their backs. It’s because when you sleep on your back, it is more likely for your soft tissues and tongue to hinder your airway.

c) Make your body slim

Just remember that CPAP therapy can only treat the disorder, but weight loss can cure it. People who are overweight have extra tissue in the back of their throat that can hinder the airflow to the lungs when they sleep.

d) Avoid heavy meals and caffeine

Do not take coffee and heavy meals within two hours before sleeping.

e) Exercise daily

Regular exercise can have a significant effect on the quality and duration of sleep. It’s good to try yoga, resistance training, and aerobic exercise.

f) Get adequate sleep

Getting sufficient sleep is vital to help you relax better. Just note that sleep apnea episodes lower when you stick to a steady sleep schedule.

Other Ways to Prevent Sleep Apnea

a) Tennis Ball Trick

To prevent you from rolling into your back while you sleep, sew a tennis ball into the backside pocket of your pyjama.

b) Strengthen the Muscles that Keep Mouth Closed

It’s a good idea to hold a pen between your teeth for about ten minutes or chew a chewing gum till your jaw begins painting.

c) Open your Nasal Passages at Night Time

Do this using Breathing Strips, Saline Spray, Nasal Irrigation, or Nasal Dilator.

d) Hold Your Head Up

Lift your head by 4 to 6 inches or elevate your body from the waist using a specialized cervical pillow or foam wedge.

e) Try Singing

Singing boosts muscle control in the soft palate and throat, thereby lowering snoring.

f) Play didgeridoo (it’s a musical instrument endemic to the top of Australia)

You can use this to strengthen your throat and soft palate to lower snoring and daytime sleepiness.

g) Try Throat Exercises

Tongue and throat exercises help you lower the severity of sleep apnea by making airway muscles strong.

-Gargle with water for five minutes two times a day.
-Press your tongue flat against the mouth floor and touch the sides with a toothbrush. Repeat this movement for 5 minutes three times a day.
-Hold your tongue between your teeth slightly and swallow it 5 times. Repeat it five times a day.
-Press the length of your tongue to the mouth roof and hold it for 3 minutes a day.
-Put your lips on the balloon. Now take a deep breath via your nose and then blow out the air via your mouth to inflate the balloon as much as you can. Repeat this 5 times without eliminating the balloon.
-Compress your lips like you are kissing, hold them tightly together and move them up to the right side and then to the up and left ten times. Repeat it three times.