What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a major health problem facing our society. When a person suffers from sleep apnea, this means that they temporarily stop breathing throughout the night. This is often caused by the soft tissues in the mouth and throat relaxing into blocking a person’s airway. As a result, a person’s body goes into panic mode, causing them to suddenly wake up so that their breathing can be restored. This is extremely stressful on the body, and in addition to causing a person to lose a lot of sleep, sleep apnea has also been linked as a contributor to depression, weight gain, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
The symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Snoring
- Teeth grinding
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Waking up and feeling unrefreshed in the morning
- Heartburn, gastric reflux or sour taste in the mouth at night
- Sore throat upon waking
- Headaches upon waking
- Sweating and chest pain while sleeping
- Nighttime gasping for air
Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? If so, Dr. J. Lee Pettigrew can provide safe, simple, and easy to use sleep apnea therapy right here in Southlake. To learn more about how he can help you get the rest that you need, simply click on the links below.
Click here to learn about how sleep apnea is generally treated.
Click here to learn about how Dr. Pettigrew can treat your sleep apnea.
Click here to make an appointment to treat your sleep apnea.