Sleeping Problems

As pulmonologists, Respiratory Consultants of Georgia specializes in the treatment of sleep disorders. These disorders affect more than 18 million people in the United States. Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed and evaluated through patient history, physical examination and polysomnography. There are many complications related to obstructive sleep apnea, as well as both surgical and non-surgical treatments.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea:

• Your partner notices your pause in breathing while sleeping
• Repeated awakening at night
• Feeling of fatigue after a nights rest
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Snoring

Three Types of Sleep Apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common. OSA occurs in approximately 2 percent of women and 4 percent of men over the age of 35
• Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations
• Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea

Untreated sleep apnea places a burden on the cardiovascular system, which has to work much harder to deliver the limited supply of oxygen to the tissues of the body. This stain causes the development of high blood pressure in approximately fifty percent of those suffering from sleep apnea, increasing the risks of stroke and heart failure for these individuals. If you suspect that you or a loved one has sleep apnea, consider seeing a sleep specialist. Addressing sleep problems will most probably save you from many sleep related health issues down the road. Testing and treatment are most often non-evasive.

MedicineNet.com
American Sleep Apnea Association
Sleep Channel
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedLine Plus