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Sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder where breathing stops and starts repeatedly. It is seen in people who snore loudly and are enervated even after having a good sleep. Here, we will see more about various types of sleep apnea, common symptoms, and their treatments.

Different Types of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is of three types:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea

It is pretty common and occurs when throat muscles relax.

• Central Sleep Apnea

This occurs when the brain is unable to send proper signals to the muscles that control the process of breathing.

• Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome

It occurs when the person is having both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This syndrome is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea.  

Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

It becomes challenging to differentiate between obstructive and central sleep apnea because the symptoms are similar. Some symptoms of sleep apnea to watch out for are the following:

• Gasping for air while asleep
• Waking up with a dry mouth.
• Insomnia
• Hypersomnia
• Lacking attention while awake
• Getting irritated easily
• Snoring loudly
• Noticeably not breathing while asleep as reported by another person

Effective Treatments for Sleep Apnea

When you are diagnosed with sleep apnea by your sleep specialist, after that, the dentist will provide you with options like CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure, and oral appliance therapy.

When another person notices and reports a person’s sleep apnea, the first option to be considered is CPAP. CPAP is like a machine that forces air to pass through oral and nasal passages to prevent collapsing of small tissues. CPAP can be very noisy, extremely bulky, and uncomfortable. These can also affect your sleep cycle.  

For patients having mild to moderate sleep apnea, an oral appliance is a good way to treat it. An oral appliance can prevent the tongue from blocking the throat and move the lower jaw to keep the air passage open while sleeping. To know if this treatment is best for you, consult a sleep specialist and a dentist with expertise in oral appliances. Oral devices are great for people who cannot tolerate CPAP. It doesn’t require electricity to work, is easier to carry, and controls irritation and concentration issues.

Oral surgery, inspire therapy, and position therapy are also ways to treat sleep apnea. Apart from these options, sleep apnea can also be controlled by lifestyle changes. Eating clean and reducing weight can help. Sleep apnea should be taken seriously and treated at the soonest time.

Get advanced sleep apnea treatments from Prescott Family Dentistry, Fort Mill, SC, by the expert team led by Jason Prescott, DMD, FAGD. For more details and appointments call us at (803) 802-7878, book online, or visit us at 1860 Coltharp Rd., Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715.