What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times per night! That’s DANGEROUS! This means the brain — and the rest of the body — may not get enough oxygen. Your body runs on oxygen, so this can seriously affect you mentally and physically if left untreated. Our patients come to us seeking solutions after struggling for years with the negative impacts this condition has had on their life.

There are three types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea and mixed. Obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are the two primary types. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common type, and is caused by an airway blockage. This usually happens when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses in sleep. Central sleep apnea (CSA), the less common form is not caused by a blockage like OSA. It happens when the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe due to instability in the respiratory control center. The third type of sleep apnea is “mixed” and it’s a combination of central and obstructive apnea events. This is a less common type of sleep apnea.

When airways are obstructed during the night, the heart needs to work harder to compensate for a lack of oxygen in the blood. This increased nocturnal heart rate over time will carry over during the day, causing constant elevated blood pressure.

All  forms of sleep apnea are dangerous and serious. They need to be diagnosed and treated right away to help get you back to the healthy life you deserve.

Sleep is the cornerstone of health. When something like sleep apnea causes your sleep to be inadequate or reduces it all together, you’re going to suffer. You don’t deserve that. It’s time to take your life back!