Different Types of Sleep Apnea

Different Types of Sleep Apnea ...

Do you know that struggling to breathe, needing to take a deep breath and being overweight all contribute to sleep apnea? According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 12 to 18 million U.S. adults have sleep apnea, and most are unaware of the condition.

Three other common factors include:

• Mild-to-moderate snoring: When minor disruptions or obstructions are present in the airway, it causes a significant drop in total air flow. Individuals still breathe a sufficient amount of air, but their bodies work harder, and often they wake more often throughout the night, causing lost sleep.

• Hypopnea: This is a condition in which there is very little air flow and a much more obstructed airway. Individuals wake more frequently with a sudden need to take a deep breath and with a serious drop in blood oxygen levels. Hypopnea is destructive to good sleep and health.

• Obstructive apnea: This is a complete collapse of the airway passage, which results in the individual awakening numerous times and gasping for breath. This more severe apnea causes detrimental drops in blood oxygen, causing strain on the heart and other organs.

Options for helping with sleep apnea include invasive surgery; a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAC; and the least invasive, a dental sleep appliance, which helps open and shift the jaw so that the individual is getting sufficient oxygen to the brain.

Some dentists offer a holistic approach where the health of the whole body is considered. The dental sleep appliance can be a good option for those that have an issue with the CPAP machine. 

Palmer Distinctive Dentistry offers complimentary breathing disorder screenings. It practices biological dentistry and can provide patients with information on dental sleep appliances. For more information, call 864-438-0903 or visit PalmerDMD.com.