Get a Better Night’s Sleep with Sleep Apnea Treatment in Kenosha, WI
Does your spouse or significant other complain about your snoring? Do you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all? Do you have headaches in the morning? You might be suffering from sleep apnea and not even know it. At Pat Crawford DDS, we not only diagnose sleep apnea–we can treat it too! Don’t let sleep apnea ruin your rest. Talk to us today about treating sleep apnea, so you and your loved ones can enjoy peaceful nights and energized days again.
What is Sleep Apnea?
When people suffer from sleep apnea, they experience short lapses in breathing while they are asleep. You stop breathing multiple times throughout the night, but you are unaware of it and the danger it poses. In some cases, you may stop breathing more than 100 times throughout a sleep cycle. As a result, your brain and body are not getting the oxygen they need to survive and work at their best.
Scientists have found two main types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: This is the more common type of sleep apnea. As the name implies, this is when the airway is blocked during sleep by the tongue. The soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses, which forms a barrier to breathing.
- Central sleep apnea: In this case, the brain fails to send the signal to the lungs to breathe. This is caused by instability in the respiratory control center, which might result from heart failure, brain tumors, brain infections, or stroke.
Are You a Candidate for Sleep Apnea?
While sleep apnea can affect anyone, you are more likely to experience it if you meet these criteria:
- Male older than 40
- Overweight
- Neck size greater than 17 inches for men or 16 inches for women
- Large tonsils
- Large tongue
- Small jaw bone
- Genetics
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Deviated septum
- Allergies
- Sinus problems
Sleep Apnea is Worse Than Just Snoring
If you think you might have sleep apnea, don’t ignore the danger! When sleep apnea goes untreated, you could experience high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure or irregular heartbeats, heart attacks, diabetes, depression, worsening attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and headaches.
Beyond that, sleep apnea affects your daily life. Sleep apnea causes you to be tired at work or school, often sleeping in the middle of the day. You even risk falling asleep at the wheel while driving, putting yourself and others in danger. Don’t compromise your health and safety. Contact us today for a sleep apnea evaluation and to discuss treatment options.
