Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Different Types Of Sleep Apnea

 It’s essential for dental patients in Lake County to understand the different symptoms and signs of sleep apnea.  This is the first step to getting the proper treatment, so you can eventually get the rest your body desperately needs. 

Central Sleep Apnea: This process occurs when your brain doesn’t send the correct signals to the muscles of the body that controls breathing. This can occur through the entire sleep cycle and is a direct result of an issue with the brain. According to Sleepeducation.org, central sleep apnea is divided into 5 different categories.

1. High-Altitude Periodic Breathing: The reduced oxygen levels in high-altitude can reduce breathing instability. It also enhances periods of rapid breathing in combination with central apnea.
2. Primary Central Sleep Apnea: This occurs when there are multiple absences in the breath. The root cause of this issue is still unknown.
3. Drug Substance:  This condition is caused by the consumption of drugs that are in the pain medicine and opioid category. At times, these substances can promote breathing irregularities in a sleep state.
4. Medical Conditions Not Cheyne – Stokes: This condition is associated with an issue with the section of the brain where breathing is controlled.
5. Cheyne-Stokes Breathing Pattern: This breathing pattern consists of rhythmic increases and decreases multiple times in your sleep.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: This type of sleep apnea is triggered when the brain sends signals to the muscles to contract for air but the muscles don’t respond. This issue can be a result of a complete or partial barrier in the airways.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment – is oral appliance therapy right for you?

The most common treatment for patients diagnosed with severe sleep apnea may be a CPAP machine.  For those who simply will not use a CPAP machine, a dental mouth guard might be the next best alternative.  At Alpine Dental, we see patients who travel frequently and can not tolerate the CPAP machine for various reasons – for example, if you like to go camping, it’ll be hard to find a 200-mile extension cord for your CPAP machine!

Remember, not all dentists in Lake County, IL have the same level of training and not all dental professionals are comfortable treating sleep disorders.  Dr. Debora Klein, however, can create custom oral appliance for her patients. This appliance, specially designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea, starts working as soon as you slip it into your mouth at night.  The dental mouth guard has a very high success rate for those with snoring and sleep breathing issues due to mild or moderate OSA.

For symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea for patients in Lake County, a custom oral appliance is a fast, safe and effective solution.