Around 7% to 19% of adults in the United States do not get enough sleep every day, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A sleep condition changes sleep patterns and can negatively affect health. Sleep disorder symptoms include fatigue, chronic snoring, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, headaches, mood swings, and anxiety.
If you snore, feel sleep tired, not feel refreshed upon awakening, you might be at risk for a common sleep problem called sleep apnea. A fast, and convenient home sleep study might be a solution. Contact our office to schedule a consultation for a sleep health treatment in Ridgecrest.
How Sleep Apnea Develops and Affects Your Health
There are three distinct types of sleep apnea, which is one of the most common sleep disorders amongst adults, and includes obstructive, complex, and central sleep apnea. Treatments for sleep health in Ridgecrest include therapies for all three distinct forms of this prevalent sleep disorder.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The most serious and common sleep apnea condition, obstructive sleep apnea, develops when a functional obstruction blocks the throat and mouth during sleep, such as the tongue, soft palate, and throat muscles. Obstructive sleep apnea disorder typically causes recurrent headaches, snoring or gasping during sleep, feeling tired or confused when awake, and frequently waking up during sleep from the feeling of not being able to breathe.
Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea causes breathing difficulties when asleep due to a neurological issue rather than an obstruction in the airways. The primary symptom of this disorder is a mismatch between the nervous system and brain when sending signals to breathe, causing an individual to stop breathing and wake up suddenly from sleep. The disorder is more likely to develop in those who are overweight, have Parkinson’s disease, abuse certain drugs, or have a history of strokes or chronic heart failure.
Complex Sleep Apnea
When obstructive and central sleep apnea symptoms combine, the disorder is known as complex sleep apnea that affects individuals similarly, such as causing daytime fatigue and poor sleep quality. Complex sleep apnea is slightly more common than central sleep apnea but still significantly less frequent than obstructive sleep apnea.
At-Home Sleep Apnea Study and Treatments
If you are experiencing signs of obstructive, central, or complex sleep apnea, the first step is an at-home sleep test to monitor symptoms for an accurate diagnosis. A home sleep study involves wearing a breathing monitor while you sleep to examine and record your oxygen levels and breathing effort throughout the night. However, this method exclusively identifies obstructive sleep apnea, so individuals who are showing other symptoms require an observation sleep study.
After a home or office sleep study and diagnosis, treatments to improve sleep health in Ridgecrest will differ depending on the particular sleep disorder an individual is suffering from. For instance, since some cases of central sleep apnea do not have an identifiable source, the typical treatment for this is a CPAP machine that delivers mechanical breaths when an individual stops breathing while asleep.
Complex sleep apnea treatments to improve sleep health involve several techniques, including CPAP machine use at night and treating underlying medical conditions that could be causing the sleep disorder. For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, treatment may include a combination of medications, CPAP machine usage, oral appliances to prevent obstructions, and surgery to reshape airway tissue in severe cases.
Schedule a Sleep Health Treatment Consultation in Ridgecrest
If you consistently have poor sleep quality, it could have significant adverse impacts on your mental well-being and physical health, sometimes leading to serious complications. Therefore, when having substantial sleep routine and quality problems, it is vital to seek out sleep health treatment in Ridgecrest.
Diagnosing your sleep disorder may require at-home or in-person sleep studies to identify a diagnosis and accurately determine the best treatment method. Since it is challenging to identify your exact symptoms to shed light on the type of sleep disorder you may be suffering from, get in touch with the Reen Medical Group for a sleep health consultation to discuss professional treatment options.
