Having trouble sleeping at night? Is snoring keeping you or your partner awake? You may be suffering from the condition known as Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night. It can become very serious and have big implications on your health. Sleep apnea can lead to issues with blood pressure and heart problems let alone the feeling of waking feeling exhausted even after a full nights sleep. Our NW Calgary dental clinic offers various treatments that can aid in controlling and managing the symptoms of Sleep Apnea.
The Main Types of Sleep Apnea are:
- Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax
- Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea
It can sometimes be difficult to determine the type of sleep apnea you have, as sometimes the symptoms overlap. Our staff will work closely with you to ask questions and help to discover what type of Sleep Apnea you may be suffering from. In some cases a sleep study may take place which will help to determine what type of Apnea your are experiencing and to help us plan the best course of treatment for you.
Here are the most common signs of the both Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea.
- Loud snoring
- Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Awakening with a dry mouth
- Morning headache
- Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
- Difficulty paying attention while awake
- Irritability
Loud snoring can indicate a potentially serious problem, but not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. Talk to your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of sleep apnea. Ask your doctor about any sleep problem that leaves you fatigued, sleepy and irritable. Don’t forget also to ask for observations from your partner. If you are keeping them awake, or have irrational breathing patterns throughout the night, they may be able to observe whether or not your breathing appears normal and relaxed at night or extremely laboured and challenging for you.
