According to Bogan Sleep Consultants, LLC., sleep apnea belongs to a family of Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders (SRBD) that disrupt the sleep and lives of millions of Americans every single year. Our sleep doctor team based in Columbia, SC. is specially trained to handle this.

Sleep apnea causes soft tissues near the back of the throat that collapse during sleep, partially closing off the windpipe. These tissues (including that of the tongue) vibrate as air passes into the esophagus, causing one to snore during sleep. The snoring produced by sleep apnea is loud and disruptive to everyone but the snorer, robbing people within earshot of the snoring of a good night’s sleep. 

In severe cases, this airflow disruption can last for 10 seconds or more at one time. This can cause dangerous disruptions in one’s blood-oxygen levels. In response to this, the body produces micro-arousals in one’s sleep, just long enough to cause the muscles of the throat to gain enough tone to enable breathing and avoid asphyxiation. This disrupts the sleep of the individual severely.

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

As mentioned previously, loud and distracting snoring is a telltale symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). However, the snorer actually doesn’t notice that they snore most of the time. This causes the victim of OSA to suffer other detriments that a sleep doctor can diagnose.

Sufferers from OSA can recognize symptoms of this condition through many of the following symptoms:

• Irritability
• Poor Memory and/or confusion
• Accident Proneness
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Morning Headaches
• High Blood Pressure
• Obesity

If you live with a partner, and you also recognize some of these symptoms in life on a daily basis, ask your partner if you persistently snore loudly and frequently throughout the night. If you get confirmation of this, then you are likely suffering from OSA and should consult a sleep doctor for treatment.

Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea

One particularly effective treatment option for sleep apnea, offered by many dental offices, is through a special oral appliance designed specifically for the treatment of sleep apnea. This works by supporting the lower jaw and keeping it in a forward position during sleep, repositioning the tongue away from the back of the throat, and reducing the chance of airway obstruction.

Conclusion

Sleep apnea is a disruptive, potentially hazardous sleeping condition that plagues the lives (and sleep) of millions of Americans, affecting their sleep quality, productivity, and potentially, their long-term health. A Columbia, SC-based sleep doctor can help you with this condition.

Bogan Sleep Consultants, LLC, is staffed with specialists that focus on diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. If you or a loved one suffers from one of the 7 different classifications of obstructive sleep disorders, or your ability to sleep peacefully at night seems to have vanished, contact a sleep doctor today. Sleep doctors believe that residents of Columbia, SC, should never have to experience another night without good, refreshing sleep.