What causes sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is caused by airways becoming blocked during sleep. Blockage can be nasal or oral in origin. Most of the time, bulky throat tissue collapses into the airway as a patient’s body relaxes during sleep. This will cause a patient to cease breathing for short periods of time. To resume proper breathing, the brain will send signals to the body to wake slightly. This cycle of breathing cessation followed by waking can occur hundreds of times throughout the night. This pattern will prevent a person from achieving true rest by disrupting the natural progression through each stage of sleep.
What are common symptoms of sleep apnea?
The most common symptoms of this condition are persistent fatigue, even after a full eight hours of perceived sleep, dry mouth, irritability, depression, and difficulty concentrating. As time goes on, patients may have difficulty completing daily tasks like driving attentively.
What should I do if I think I have sleep apnea?
If you have signs or symptoms of sleep apnea, our team recommends that you schedule a sleep study. If your study reveals that you have this condition, you should then schedule an oral examination to determine the origin of airway blockage. Treatment can vary depending on the cause of sleep apnea. Some patients may benefit from wearing an oral appliance that repositions the jaws or using a CPAP machine, which emits a steady stream of air to prevent blockages. When these methods are ineffective, an oral surgeon may need to remove bulky tissue or correct the positioning of the jaws.
To learn more about sleep apnea treatment, call our skilled team today.