By 
Getting a good night’s sleep is a must if you are looking forward to having a functional and productive day with a lot of energy. Think of your body as a device with a battery. When you are sleeping, it is getting charged. Once you get an undisturbed sleep for 7-8 hours, you will become full of energy and ready for the whole day or toil and trouble. But what if you are suffering from some disorder?
Sleep apnea can have a severe effect on your life and health as it affects your sleep. This creates obstruction in breathing when you sleep and because of that, you might wake up multiple times during the night, effectively becoming disturbed. The most distressing part about it all is that you probably don’t know that you are suffering from sleep apnea. So, in that case, you need to take a look at the following points to know everything about the disorder and sleep apnea treatment in Charlotte, Cornelius, Huntersville, Mooresville and Statesville NC.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that affects around 20 million people while almost 80% of those remain undiagnosed. “Apnea” is a Greek word that means without breathing. Patients suffering from sleep apnea experience a temporary suspension of breathing while they are sleeping. Often patients don’t understand that they are suffering from this disorder and that leads to many serious health issues when it remains undiagnosed and untreated for a long time.
In obtrusive sleep apnea, the tongue gets sucked in the back of the throat, obstructing the airway. This will prevent your lungs from getting oxygen. And when that happens during your sleep, you will wake up choking or gasping for breath. As the airways get repeatedly blocked during your sleep, you might snore loudly too. Choking and waking up can happen multiple times when you are sleeping which leads to disturbed sleep patterns. Because of this, you need to consult a specialist on oral and facial surgery.
Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Like all disorders, sleep apnea has its signs too. However, people often ignore those signs and don’t go to a doctor for the issue which leads to more complications. So, if you or your loved ones are having disturbed sleeping, then you need to look for the following signs to understand if you are suffering from sleep apnea.
- Snoring: This is the most classic sign of sleep apnea. Patients suffering from sleep apnea tend to snore loudly and become chronic snorers as the air gets partially blocked.
- Frequent Pauses in Breathing: If you are suffering from sleep apnea, the tongue will get and fall at the back of your throat relaxed which leads to obstructed airways. This will pause your breathing while disturbing your sleep.
- Fatigue during Daytime: Even if you are staying in bed sleeping 7-9 hours, you might have frequent pause or breaks in breathing that leads to disturbed sleeping. So, you will not be well-rested and as a result, you will be extremely tired during the day time.
- Headache: If you wake up with a headache, you might have sleep apnea which should be treated. The obstructive airways will lead to limited oxygen supply in the brain which can make the blood vessels wider. This can be the cause of vascular headaches. Often doctors suggest sleep apnea surgery to treat these issues in Davidson, Kenansville, and Concord NC.
- Mood Swings and Depression: Lack of good sleep can make a person irritable, anxious, short-tempered and depressed. Having sleep apnea can lead to these issues.
Immediate Consequences of Untreated Sleep Apnea
When you are not sleeping properly, that can lead to various immediate health concerns for you which can include,
- High blood pressure
- Risk of stroke
- Heart diseases
- Diabetes
- Depression and other mental health issues
- Fatigue
So, it is important that you or your loved ones begin sleep apnea treatment as soon as possible. Start looking for the right oral and maxillofacial surgeon or a facial trauma specialist in Charlotte NC who treats sleep apnea and ensures the cure of the disorder.
