At Ray McKinley DDS & Brittany McKinley-Holloway DDS – McKinley General, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry, we often see patients who say they have been struggling with insufficient sleep for months or even years. Some of these men and women end up being diagnosed with sleep apnea or related conditions.
You Can’t Just “Tough It Out”
The reluctance to seek professional help is sad because it negatively impacts on their health and reduces their quality of life. If they are keeping someone up at night, it makes life more difficult for that person, as well.
Protect Your Health
For some inexplicable reason, many men and women don’t consider sleep apnea a serious issue. Why the disconnect? We are talking about breathing, folks! There isn’t a biological activity more indispensable than that. And inadequate sleep can cause a host of serious health problems. It also affects performance in every facet of life; work, leisure pursuits, and social activities.
Sleep apnea is a disorder where you have frequent, intermittent gaps in breathing while you sleep. These delays can last for up to 60 seconds and are caused by soft tissue in the back of the throat that relaxes and obstructs the airway. As you can probably imagine, when our brain is not getting enough oxygen it interferes with vital biological processes.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Cause: Throat muscles relax and block the airway. This is the most prevalent type.
Central Sleep Apnea
Cause: The brain doesn’t send signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome (Treatment-emergent Central Sleep Apnea)
This type is a combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
- Loud snoring
- Unexpected awakenings where you are choking or feel “out of breath”
- Pauses in breathing while sleeping (as evidenced by another person observing the behavior)
- Sore throat or dry mouth after sleeping
- Fitful sleep
- Falling asleep while performing normal daily activities
- Inability to concentrate during the day
- Mood changes
- Awakening with a headache
- Extreme fatigue
If you experience any of these symptoms, we invite you to discuss it with us at Ray McKinley DDS & Brittany McKinley-Holloway DDS – McKinley General, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry in Shelby Township. Call our office to schedule a sleep apnea consultation.
Contact Ray McKinley DDS & Brittany McKinley-Holloway DDS — McKinley General, Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry:
586-685-0880
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
45665 Village Blvd
Shelby Township, Michigan
48315
