How Does Sleep Apnea Develop?

Categories: Sleep Apnea

Studies show that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) impacts millions of people in the United States. Without treatment, their overall health could eventually suffer. Fortunately, we know how to identify and treat OSA. But what causes sleep apnea to develop in the first place? What steps can our Spring, TX, patients take to protect themselves from this serious disorder?

Your Daily Habits

Sleep apnea means that several times during the night the soft issues in your throat and mouth become too relaxed, collapsing and blocking airflow. You stop breathing for brief periods until the brain wakes you. Despite never remembering these episodes, they happen dozens a times every hour, leaving you sleep deprived, even if you think you rested the night before.

Often, our daily activities impact our risk. For example, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol before bed could make you feel sleepy, but will also increase the risk of overly-relaxed soft tissues and prevent you from reaching REM sleep. You should also consider avoiding smartphones usage right before bed or in bed, as the blue light the device emits could mimic the appearance of sunlight to your brain. A routine sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same times daily, also help improve your ability to rest.

Other Factors

Other factors related to OSA include you neck circumference, sinus or allergy issues, deviated septum, and obesity. As part of your diagnosis, we will assess the various factors contributing to your sleep difficulties. From there, we not only recommend treatment, but also possible changes to your daily life that may prove beneficial.

Diagnosis

If you have any of the factors we’ve discussed, or suffer from exhaustion, chronic snoring, dry mouth, headaches, and episodes of waking in the night choking or gasping for air, then let us know. Using a home sleep test, we provide a small device that monitors you as you rest at night. The device registers your blood oxygen levels, your breathing exertion, and any apneic episodes. We then make an accurate diagnosis and recommend one of our personalized sleep solutions. Our solutions involve oral appliances that fit like a mouthguard while also keeping airways free of obstruction. Treatment helps you avoid the strain to your immune and cardiovascular system OSA often causes. If you have any questions about identifying or treating sleep apnea, or if you experience symptoms or risk factors, then contact our team today. We want to help you rest easy with our precise diagnostic procedures and comfortable treatment options.

Do You Need a Sleep Apnea Solution?

Don’t live with a serious sleep disorder, talk to our team about possible solutions. To help treat your snoring or OSA, then please call Houston Sleep Solutions in Spring, TX, at (281) 320-2000, or in Pearland, TX, at (832) 564-3508.