Sleep Apnea affects millions of people around the world, many who may not know just how serious a condition sleep apnea can be. To begin, the word “apnea” in Greek means, literally “without breath.” In laymen terms, this simply means that a person will stop breathing involuntarily while they are asleep, which can have a very serious consequence, including death. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that has taken the lives of many people. When left untreated, sleep apnea can cause many more serious diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression and other ailments. It can also lead to automobile accidents and workplace injuries due to lack of sleep and alertness issues.

What are the Types of Sleep Apnea?

There are three types of sleep apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which is referred to commonly as OSA, central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. The main differences in the types are the root causes. All three, when left untreated, result in cessation of breath repeatedly during sleep, often occurring hundreds of times each night. The cessation can last for a minute or longer and most people are not aware it is happening, since the cessations do not trigger full awakening in most cases. However, the affects are the same and left untreated, have serious consequences, including death.

Who Can Get Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea typically afflicts men more than women and of the men, African-American and Hispanic men have a higher chance of having sleep apnea. Another contributor to sleep apnea is weight. Being overweight can contribute to sleep apnea. ANd finally, being over the age of 40 is also another commonality seen in sleep apnea patients. But don’t be fooled, just about anyone at any age can have sleep apnea, including children. It is best to understand the affects of sleep apnea in order to know when it may be time to seek professional help.

What are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Extremely loud snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, often being so loud that significant others and family members find it hard to be in the same room with the snorer. Other indicators include obesity, being constantly sleepy in the daytime, awaking during the night frequently, being out of breath upon awakening, and frequently waking with a headache or dry mouth in the morning. While many of these symptoms may be present, in some cases, there may only be one or two. The only way to know if sleep apnea is present and the severity of the case if present, is by having a sleep study performed. These can be performed in a laboratory or by using a home sleep study kit.

Find out if more information today about sleep apnea by contacting Columbus and Hilliard sleep apnea dentist Dr. Mark Levy today at 614-915-0165.