Sleep Apnea in Colorado Springs, CO

Sleep Apnea, or Obstructive Sleep Apnea, is when the airway in one’s throat is obstructed in a way that the person resting is not getting enough oxygen when they sleep. This can be detrimental to one’s health as a lack of oxygen supply during your sleep can lead to other serious health problems like diabetes or other heart disease and congestive heart failure. It is important to take care of this as soon as the problem arises. As with most medical conditions, the sooner you take care of it the sooner you will see positive results and start to live your life the way you normally would.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, insomnia, nightmares, and certain symptoms of depression like lack of interest in day-to-day things or just overall tiredness and apathy. Snoring seems to be the most pervasive of the symptoms for those who have a sleeping partner. Sometimes the snoring can be so intense that it sounds as though someone is choking or gasping for air. At that point, it is crucial that you seek immediate medical treatment. Sleep apnea affects many parts of the sufferer’s life. When you have sleep apnea, you stop breathing a certain number of times throughout the night and your body tries to gasp for air. This is called a hypopnea.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed by the patient having an overnight sleep study. During this, a registered polysomnographic technician will attach wires to your head and your legs, as well as an oxygen reader on your finger and two bands around your abdomen, all to wear while you sleep, so that they can get an accurate reading of how many times you stop breathing during the night and if you do in fact have sleep apnea or if perhaps there is something else going on.

Treatment for sleep apnea can vary. The most permanent way to cure sleep apnea is through lifestyle change by losing a significant amount of weight, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. Supplemental treatment includes using a continuous positive airway pressure (Or CPAP) machine, which provides continuous pressured air throughout the night into your mouth and nose while you sleep to ensure that if you happen to stop breathing, it will quickly be fixed and the air pressure will keep you from not getting enough oxygen. Often times it is viewed that treatment for sleep apnea is “too much to handle” and people sometimes can get claustrophobic having a mask on while they sleep. But it is extremely important to consider that without this mask, if you continue to snore excessively and stop breathing during the night, it’s possible that at one point you may not wake up from your sleep. Getting treatment for sleep apnea is a matter of taking responsibility for your health and making sure you’re alive to take care of the things in life that matter- such as your family or goals you want to achieve but cannot at the moment due to serious lack of energy during the day.

Luckily, there is a place close by in Colorado Springs that specializes in Sleep Apnea diagnosis and treatment. Visit Summit Dental or call (719)-630-3554 to schedule an appointment today. A better and more rested life may only be a phone call away.