Sleep Apnea: What is it? And What is the Best Apnea Treatment?

Sleep Apnea is perhaps the most common and yet most undiagnosed sleep disorder. It’s also the most dangerous.

Based on research; up to a third of adult Americans have problematic sleep apnea but about ninety percent don’t know it. If you are over fifty, male and snore you probably have sleep apnea.

Apnea, which means ‘without breath’, is when breathing becomes shallow and stops altogether during sleep. When a person stops breathing their blood oxygen levels are lowered and the low oxygen levels send warning signals to the person to wake the body up enough to restart breathing. Some people can wake up this way sixty times an hour or more and not be aware of it. This cycle repeats throughout the night and prevents people from entering into deep sleep and REM sleep, both needed for feeling rested and energized.

The side effects of sleep apnea can be severe. Beyond daytime fatigue and lower performance it can also create brain fog, anxiety, depression, low blood oxygen levels, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, obesity, impotence, type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, stroke and death.

If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea there are many approaches to treatment. Standard treatments include oral appliance therapy, CPAP, and/or upper airway surgery, radio frequency ablation as well as losing weight and eliminating foods that cause acid reflux can help. CPAP works for less than 50% of patients which is why a comprehensive, personalized treatment is important. Make an appointment on-line to find out the best treatment for YOU!