What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder involving several pauses in breathing and low breathing periods during sleep. Apneas, or periods during which the patient holds his or her breath, can occur for a few seconds to a couple of minutes at a time and up to 30 times in one hour. Many times, patients with sleep apnea will wake with a gasp of air after long periods of apnea. This means that a patient with sleep apnea receives less oxygen at night than our bodies require to stay healthy.
How do I know if I have sleep apnea?
Unfortunately, many sleep apnea sufferers are unaware of their condition. Even upon awakening from an episode of blocked breathing, sleep apnea sufferers do not know they are having difficulty breathing. Sometimes spouses or other witnesses of these sudden gasps for air are the first to detect a problem. Since sleep apnea is difficult to diagnose with these traits alone, our Fresno dentists work closely with their neighboring sleep center and offer sleep studies to detect other signs of sleep apnea and determine the cause.
What are the signs of sleep apnea?
Some symptoms include drowsiness throughout the day due to poor sleep. Sleep apnea sufferers may have a slower reaction time and difficulty seeing clearly. This lack of sleep can also cause mood swings and depression. Snoring also commonly accompanies sleep apnea; although, not all snorers have sleep apnea.
How does obesity contribute to obstructive sleep apnea?
OSA, or obstructive sleep apnea is caused by poor muscle tone in the patients neck. The fatty tissues collapse on the airways when the patient’s muscles are relaxed during sleep. This can result in snoring as well as periods of apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Fresno
Learn more about how you can protect yourself from this deadly sleep disorder with treatment from our Fresno dentists. Call (559) 297-1800 to schedule a consultation for an oral appliance today. Fresno Dental Studio happily treats patients from Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Mendota, Orange Cove, Reedley, Selma, and the surrounding areas.