What are the health risks of sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that causes the body to stop breathing multiple times during sleep. It may be related to a medical or neurological problem, or, created by an airway obstruction, a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues of the palate, airway or tongue drop backwards during sleep, blocking the airway and causing breathing to stop until the brain forces the body to wake up and breathe again. For most OSA patients, this cycle is repeated multiple times during the night.
When the body stops breathing, the oxygen supply to the circulatory system, brain and internal organs is disrupted. Repeated interrupted sleep breathing can lead to complex health problems. Illnesses and harmful health conditions that medical research has shown may be linked to sleep apnea include:
- Heart Disease and Heart Attacks
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure and Stroke
- Liver Problems
- Depression
Know Your Risk. If you experience frequent, loud snoring, or have been told by your sleep partner that you wake up gasping for air during the night, these are common signs associated with sleep apnea. (Snoring by itself, however, is not necessarily related to sleep apnea).
Sleep apnea is diagnosed with a sleep study performed by medical sleep professionals. Learn more about sleep apnea.
Dr. Chris Anderson works with medical sleep professionals to provide oral appliance therapy to assist with management of mild to moderate sleep apnea for patients that are not able to tolerate CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices.
Questions about Sleep Apnea?
If you are experiencing chronic, heavy snoring or awake from sleep choking and gasping for air, it is important to your health that you seek medical attention from your primary doctor as soon as possible. If you have questions about sleep apnea or would like assistance in locating a sleep physician, please Contact Georgia Dental Medicine.