1 in 5 people have sleep apnea- do you?
The awareness of sleep apnea is now increasing in the US. We now know that it is linked to other conditions and medical problems, and now we can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is often associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, fatigue, obesity, heartburn (acid reflux), stroke, heart attack, memory loss, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and many other serious medical conditions. Normally, our bodies take the time to heal and rejuvinate while we are sleeping. With sleep apnea, health problems can be caused by or worsened by lack of rest. If untreated, sleep apnea will continue to worsen your other medical problems, which often leads to worsening apnea, continuing in a vicious cycle.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime fatigue, inability to concentrate, memory loss, snoring, nocturia (frequent urination at night), waking unrefreshed, swelling of limbs, chest pains or sweating while you sleep, restless tossing and turning, night terrors, and choking or gasping spells. Most people that have sleep apnea are not aware at all that they stop breathing, but recognize many of the symptoms.
Modern medicine now gives you options for sleep apnea. While using a C-PAP machine is the gold standard for treating sleep apnea, not everyone can tolerate one. Also, when you travel, it is not always convenient to carry around all of the necessary equipment. Appliances can be made to help with sleep apnea that are small and convenient. One of our most recommended is appliances is the Oasys 2 appliance.If you think you may have sleep apnea or have any of the above symptoms or conditions, please contact our office today for an evaluation, or go to MySleepTest.com for more information.