Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment Options

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that repeatedly interrupts breathing during sleep. Typically, the breathing pauses last for seconds and can happen many times every hour. Undiagnosed sleep apnea can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic health issues such as diabetes. Unfortunately, you may not be aware you have this issue. So, if you suspect you have sleep apnea, you must see a Carthay sleep apnea specialist and know available treatment options for you. While sleep apnea can affect people with normal weight, it is most common in obese people. 

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

If you have sleep apnea, your bed partner will notice your breathing pauses or complain about your loud snoring. But, snoring does not always indicate sleep apnea. In addition, sleep apnea can make you feel unexplained fatigue and mood swings. This results in a constant interruption in your breathing, which prevents you from getting a good sleep at night. Sometimes, you may wake up with a dry mouth because you will have to breathe with an open mouth, which dries out your saliva. You may also wake up with a headache that can happen because of low oxygen or high carbon dioxide levels while you sleep. 

Health Consequences

Because sleep apnea can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, you can experience daytime sleepiness, difficulty focusing, fatigue, and forgetfulness. Also, you have an increased risk for accidents and errors in your everyday activities. Additionally, sleep apnea can also affect your mental health. It can make you irritable and moody as well as cause anxiety and depression. When left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of serious health issues such as atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. 

Treatment Options

Apart from lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercising, sleep apnea patients can use continuous positive airway pressure devices to treat moderate to serious sleep apnea. Also, oral appliances are available to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea implants are another treatment option that involves inserting a pacemaker system to stimulate muscles and keep airways open, allowing a sufferer to breathe during sleep. 

Those who have exhausted other treatment options and cannot find the relief they need can opt for upper airway surgery meant to increase the size of their airway. This can include removing tonsils, excess throat tissue, and adenoids. Also, the surgeon may reconstruct the patient’s jaw to enlarge their upper airways.