Sleep Apnea

Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Hampton, Portsmouth - VA

Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder in which you stop breathing for longer than ten seconds up to 50 times an hour in your sleep. When normal breathing resumes it is often accompanied by chocking, or loud snoring. When you stop breathing or experience shallow breathing during sleep, your sleep cycle is interrupted, leading to a lack of sleep.

Dangers of Sleep Apnea

Sleep is our body’s way of restoring and healing itself. If you do not sleep well you run a much higher risk for a number of ailments, including but not limited to:

• Depression
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Weight gain
• Coronary heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Symptoms of sleep apnea that you may notice are:

• Waking up with headaches
• You are tired during the day
• You do not feel rested after a night’s sleep

Sleep apnea is often undiagnosed because a person may not know they have it since the symptoms occur only during sleep. However, your partner or a family member may notice symptoms that you are unaware of such as:

• You frequently stop breathing for extended periods of time
• You choke and gasp in your sleep
• You snore loudly
• You are restless

Causes of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is caused by blocked or narrowed airways in your throat, mouth, or nose. Enlarged adenoids, tonsils, or a larger uvula can also cause sleep apnea, since they press on your airways when you lie down to sleep. Sleep apnea can also stem from problems with your jawbone. Although less common, a form of sleep apnea called “central sleep apnea” can be caused by a brain tumor or infection, heart disease, or a stroke. Sleep apnea is more likely to occur if you use certain medications, drink before bedtime, smoke, or are overweight.

Treatment Options

Simple lifestyle changes can sometimes effectively treat sleep apnea. Avoiding certain medications, or committing to lifestyle changes, such as refraining from drinking before bedtime, and losing weight can make all the difference in the world. There are other oral appliances that are similar to mouth guards or breathing apparatuses that can help keep the airway open and stop sleep apnea. However, if none of these things work, you may want to speak to a sleep apnea expert about surgical options.

If you live in the Virginia Beach, Virginia area, and believe you may suffer from sleep apnea, please contact Michael Folck, DDS, for an initial consultation.