How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

It’s always going to be important for us all to have great levels of sleep. Yet, that doesn’t always happen. You may find that you struggle to get to sleep, have issues with snoring or getting into a deep sleep. And you wouldn’t be the only one. 

This is something that so many people experience. But when does the idea of a sleep issue start to become something serious? How do you know when it’s something that you may be able to change yourself by adjusting some factors in your life compared to a medical issue?
 
When it comes to sleep, if you know that you’re constantly tired and feeling fatigued and perhaps snoring loudly or struggling to breathe when you sleep, you may find that you are experiencing sleep apnea. Let’s take a look at this condition and how it’s treated.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep or breathing condition that is relatively common. However, it is actually quite serious and needs to be treated by an ENT doctor. It sees an interrupting in your breathing throughout your night’s sleep where you may actually stop breathing. This will often last for ten seconds.

What causes it?

There are a range of risk factors that can actually cause sleep apnea. It’s more common in men or post-menopausal women, those that are over 50, those that are overweight and those that smoke or have a larger neck circumference.

How is it diagnosed?

Even if you believe that you may be experiencing sleep apnea, this will need to be diagnosed by your ENT doctor. They will be able to make an evaluation based on the symptoms you are experiencing to diagnose it officially.

When to see an ENT doctor

If you are concerned about your sleeping, it would be a good time to see an ENT doctor. You may not always realize that you have stopped breathing in your sleep, but sometimes you may. If you share your bed with anyone, they may also be able to inform you of what happens so that you can then make an appointment.

Treatment options for sleep apnea

Some treatments for sleep apnea can involve lifestyle changes that will help to control the condition, such as weight loss. However, you may also require a device to unblock the airway as you sleep, such as the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, which is the most common.

Are you experiencing sleep apnea right now? If you believe that this is affecting your sleep, it’s best to speak to an ear, nose and throat specialist as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment.