Treatment of Sleep Apnea Spokane - Effective Solutions for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a common problem that a lot of individuals deal with. In fact, sometimes people don't even know that they have it until they go to the doctor for fatigue, inability to sleep, and other issues that they are unaware of what they stem from. There are two main kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Let's talk about central sleep apnea and what causes it to appear.

Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, which happens because of relaxed throat muscles, central sleep apnea is when your brain fails to control your breathing properly. Instead of sending the message to your muscles to help you Breathe in and out properly, these messages fail to be transmitted to the proper areas of your body involved in breathing and sleep patterns, such as your heart, spinal cord, and lungs.

While central sleep apnea only accounts for about 5% of all sleep apnea cases, it’s very important to screen for it, as part of a more thorough sleep study because it can cause heart problems and severe fatigue. By not being able to get a deep enough sleep to help restore your body's energy, you may find yourself falling asleep during the day while working or driving, which makes you a hazard to yourself as well as others.

Central sleep apnea can be caused by a number of things, but it is typically spotted after one has had damage to their brain, such as by stroke or a tumor, as these can affect the brain's ability to send out the proper "signals" to other parts of your body. High altitude and certain medications can also increase your risk for central sleep apnea.

Understanding the symptoms of central sleep apnea can help you determine when it is necessary to seek further assistance from a professional. Common symptoms of central sleep apnea include insomnia and hypersomnia (the inability to fall asleep at night and inability to stay awake during the day), shortness of breath, broken sleep patterns, snoring, and observation (perhaps from a spouse) of abnormal or inconsistent breathing patterns during sleep.

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