Sleep Apnea Treatment

Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a relatively common sleep disorder that is defined by brief pauses in breathing while sleeping. Sometimes, the pauses can be minutes long, until you choke or cough and continue breathing normally. This can be very restrictive and make getting a good night’s rest very difficult. As you can imagine, it’s hard to get a diagnosis on sleep apnea because it happens when you’re asleep, so you may go months or even years without realizing that you have sleep apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The most common form of Sleep Apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which causes an airway to be blocked or pinched during sleep, causing breathing to be labored. This can cause snoring, because something is physically blocking the air from passing through the airways. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is common in overweight people, because there are additional pressures on the respiratory systems throughout the body.

Learn more about Sleep Apnea in our Patient Education Database, Powered by HealthWise®.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central Sleep Apnea is much more uncommon. This is the type of sleep apnea that occurs because of a neurological dysfunction that causes the brain to not send the proper signals to trigger proper breathing while asleep. It can be caused by a natural neurological dysfunction, or it can even be caused by medication, or as a secondary symptom of a different condition. If your sleeping stops while asleep, but there is no snoring or obstruction, it’s possible it’s Central Sleep Apnea.

Mixed Sleep Apnea / Complex Sleep Apnea

Sometimes, a patient will have both Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. In these cases, separate treatments may be needed to treat the Obstructive side of their Sleep Apnea versus their Central Sleep Apnea.

Side Effects of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea, if left untreated, can cause very serious cardiovascular damage and disease. It also interrupts the natural balance of the sleep cycle, and makes it very difficult for your brain to actually regenerate you. This leaves you groggy, impaired, and prone to exhaustion-related accidents (car, machinery, etc.)

If you’re experiencing symptoms of Sleep Apnea, it is very important for you to go to a sleep specialist and find a solution that works for you. If you do not treat your sleep apnea, you can cause irreversible damage to your body and require even more dire treatment.

Treating Sleep Apnea in Annapolis, MD

Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists diagnose and treat disorders of the lungs and respiratory system, from Asthma, to Allergies, to Sleep Apnea! Request an appointment with us today if you’d like to diagnose and help get control of your sleeping problems.