{"id":378,"date":"2019-08-21T17:37:50","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T22:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entnb.fm1.dev\/sleep\/sleep-apnea\/"},"modified":"2023-04-17T10:33:18","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T15:33:18","slug":"apnea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/entnb.com\/throat\/sleep\/apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Apnea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\"> \n\n{ \n\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \n\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \n\n  \"mainEntity\": [{ \n\n    \"@type\": \"Question\", \n\n    \"name\": \"What is sleep apnea?\", \n\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": { \n\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\", \n\n      \"text\": \"Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing is interrupted periodically throughout the night. These pauses, or gaps, in breathing may be accompanied by choking or gasping but rarely awaken the sleeping individual. An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, many of them unaware of their condition.\" \n\n    } \n\n  }, { \n\n    \"@type\": \"Question\", \n\n    \"name\": \"What causes sleep apnea?\", \n\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": { \n\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\", \n\n      \"text\": \"There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax and droop during sleep, blocking the airway and causing breathing difficulty. It is by far the most common form of the disorder. Central sleep apnea is the result of the brain failing to properly control breathing during sleep; this is rare.\" \n\n    } \n\n  }, { \n\n    \"@type\": \"Question\", \n\n    \"name\": \"What are the signs of sleep apnea?\", \n\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": { \n\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\", \n\n      \"text\": \"The main sign of sleep apnea is chronic, loud snoring. Symptoms include daytime drowsiness, lack of concentration, memory loss, irritability and depression. You may experience frequent morning headaches and sore throats and wake up with a dry mouth.\" \n\n    } \n\n }, { \n\n    \"@type\": \"Question\", \n\n    \"name\": \"Who is most likely to develop sleep apnea?\", \n\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": { \n\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\", \n\n      \"text\": \"Those who are male, overweight and older than the age of 40 are most at risk, though sleep apnea can \u2013 and does \u2013 affect people of both sexes and all ages. Other factors that can contribute to sleep apnea include natural aging, excessive or bulky throat tissue, large soft palate or uvula, small jaw, large neck and oversized tonsils or adenoids.\" \n\n } \n\n  }, { \n\n    \"@type\": \"Question\", \n\n    \"name\": \"How is sleep apnea treated?\", \n\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": { \n\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\", \n\n      \"text\": \"The most popular type of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device. This machine utilizes a face or nasal mask connected to a pump, which provides a positive flow of air powerful enough to keep your airway passage open. The device must be worn every night to be effective. A number of alternative PAP devices are available. Autofiltrating positive airway pressure (APAP) automatically increases or decreases air pressure throughout the night as needed. Bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP) devices increase the pressure level when the people breathes in, and decrease it when they breathe out. These machines often help individuals who have trouble with the basic CPAP device.\" \n\n    } \n\n  }, { \n\n    \"@type\": \"Question\", \n\n    \"name\": \"Can oral appliances help treat sleep apnea?\", \n\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": { \n\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\", \n\n      \"text\": \"Oral appliances are an alternative for these patients. They work by either moving the lower jaw forward to keep the airway passages open or holding the tongue in place to prevent it from falling backward and blocking the airway. \n\nOral appliances may be either fixed or adjustable and are available in many different styles with as many as 40 different patents in existence. There are several advantages to using oral appliances over other sleep apnea treatment methods. They are easy to use, inexpensive and effective for treating a number of sleep disorders including snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. They are easy to insert and remove and tend to have higher compliance rates than CPAP. Younger patients who have to moderate sleep apnea, lower BMI and smaller neck sizes are most likely to see positive results from oral appliances.\" \n\n } \n\n} \n\n ] \n\n  } \n\n<\/script> \n\n\n\n<p>Sleep apnea is a <a href=\"https:\/\/entnb.com\/throat\/sleep\/disorders\/\">disorder<\/a> in which breathing is interrupted periodically throughout the night. These pauses, or gaps, in breathing may be accompanied by choking or gasping but rarely awaken the sleeping individual. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/sleep-apnea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimated 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea<\/a>, many of them unaware of their condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What Causes Sleep Apnea? <\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1280\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/entnb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-594015680-2-1280x854.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/entnb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-594015680-2-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/entnb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-594015680-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/entnb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-594015680-2-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/entnb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/iStock-594015680-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central.&nbsp; Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax and droop during sleep, blocking the airway and causing breathing difficulty. It is by far the most common form of the disorder. Central sleep apnea is the result of the brain failing to properly control breathing during sleep; this is rare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main sign of sleep apnea is chronic, <a href=\"https:\/\/entnb.com\/throat\/sleep\/snoring\/\">loud snoring<\/a>. Symptoms include daytime drowsiness, lack of concentration, memory loss, irritability and depression. You may experience frequent morning headaches and sore throats and wake up with a dry mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who are male, overweight and older than the age of 40 are most at risk, though sleep apnea can \u2013 and does \u2013 affect people of both sexes and all ages. Other factors that can contribute to sleep apnea include natural aging, excessive or bulky throat tissue, large soft palate or uvula, small jaw, large neck and oversized tonsils or adenoids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allergies, <a href=\"https:\/\/entnb.com\/nose-sinus\/sinus\/sinusitis\/\">sinus infections<\/a>, tobacco use and alcohol all may play a role as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>How Is Sleep Apnea Treated? &nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep apnea is more than just a nuisance that robs you of sleep. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health issues such as congestive heart failure, stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia. If you suspect you are suffering from sleep apnea, schedule a visit with your physician who will perform a thorough physical examination and may set up a sleep study test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may be able to reduce the severity of your symptoms by implementing certain lifestyle changes. Try losing weight, cutting back or eliminating alcohol (especially before bedtime) and quitting smoking. Sleeping on your side instead of your back and elevating your head may also help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The preferred method of treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This involves controlled bursts of air pumped into your throat while you sleep, delivered through a mask that is worn over the nose and mouth and attached to a machine. Other options for treatment include oral mouth guards that reposition the lower jaw and tongue, nasal breathing strips and surgery. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Call <span class=\"company-name \">The ENT Center of New Braunfels<\/span> at <a href=\"tel:+18306273777\" class=\"phone \"> <span class=\"phNum\">(830) 627-3777<\/span><\/a> for more information or to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing is interrupted periodically throughout the night. These pauses, or gaps, in breathing may be accompanied by choking or gasping but rarely awaken the sleeping individual. An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, many of them unaware of their condition. What Causes Sleep Apnea? There are&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":377,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"(830) 627-3777 | Sleep apnea can seriously impact your quality of life. Find out if you have sleep apnea. Schedule now. 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