What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep-related breathing disorder. It is characterized by the frequent interruption of normal breathing during sleep. An estimated 18 million adult Americans suffer from sleep apnea, although a significant portion of that number is currently undiagnosed.
To facilitate your sleep apnea diagnosis, Dr. Sullivan works with board-certified sleep physicians from Gilbert, AZ and surrounding areas. Getting the right diagnosis is a crucial step towards getting the right treatment for your condition.
There are three main varieties of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Central sleep apnea
- Complex sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form of the disorder. In obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is interrupted by obstructions in the airway caused by the collapse or shifting of tissues in the mouth or throat. Central sleep apnea is less physiological in nature, and is a result of the failure of the brain to send correct signals to muscles controlling breathing. Complex sleep apnea combines aspects of OSA and central sleep apnea.
Common risk factors for sleep apnea include:
- Obesity
- Age
- Smoking
- Alcohol use
- Physiological factors, such as tongue, neck, and jawbone size and nasal congestion
Sleep apnea is also more common in men than women.
If you think that you or a loved one may be living with sleep apnea, we invite you to contact Progressive Sleep & Wellness today. Our experienced dentists, Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Monahan, can help determine appropriate treatment strategies to help get you sleeping easy again. Please call our office at (866) 54-SLEEP to learn more about sleep apnea treatment in Gilbert, Arizona, today!