Sleep Apnea: A Commonly Underdiagnosed Disorder Thousands Suffer from in Toronto and the Rest of Canada Marked by chronic interruptions in respiration while at rest, this disorder can cause significant medical problems when not treated. Luckily, awareness and services such as specialized sleep clinics and dental solutions in Toronto are making both diagnosis and treatment increasingly more manageable.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition where the airway is partially or completely obstructed during sleep and breathing stops for a short time. These disturbances can be as brief as a few seconds or last more than a minute and can happen dozens or even hundreds of times a night. It most frequently manifests as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which itself is the consequence of throat muscles loosening up to the point where they restrict airflow. Rarer is Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) which is when the brain does not send out the right signals to the muscles that regulate breathing.
Signs and Symptoms
Most people don't realize that they have sleep apnea because these breathing pauses only occur during sleep. Though there are minor symptoms that may cause concern:
Loud, chronic snoring
Gasping or choking at night
Excessive daytime fatigue
Morning headaches
Problems with Concentration and Memory
Irritability or mood swings
If you or a family member have any of these symptoms especially in combination it is important to seek a medical evaluation.
What can Happen from Untreated Sleep Apnea?
Untreated sleep apnea can have serious health consequences. Research suggests that it may raise your risk of:
High blood pressure
Heart disease and stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity
Depression and anxiety
Impaired cognitive function
While in Toronto, the increasing recognition of problems associated with sleep has lead a number of those practicing healthcare to consider adding sleep as part of their regular health check similar to cardiovascular and metabolic testing.
Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea in Toronto
Toronto citizens can benefit from the numerous sleep labs and health care professionals who can assess and manage sleep apnea. Diagnosis typically requires a sleep study done in a lab (polysomnography) or a home-based test with portable monitoring devices.
Treatment options include:
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure): The most widely used and effective treatment, CPAP uses a machine to gently blow air into the throat through a nose mask, keeping the airway open during sleep.
Oral Appliance Therapy: Dentists in Toronto with a background in sleep medicine can fit you with an oral appliance to help prevent airway blockage by pushing the jaw or tongue forward as you sleep ideal for mild to moderate OSA.
Lifestyle modifications: Weight loss, abstinence of alcohol and positional therapy (sleeping on one's side) can be beneficial in alleviating symptoms.
Surgeries: In extreme cases surgery is needed to extract or readjust obstructive tissues in the airway.
Takeaway
Sleep apnea is much more than just snoring it can be a serious and life-threatening condition that must be dealt with. Given Toronto's strong health-care system and expanding understanding of sleep-related disorders, diagnosis and cure is possible. By seeing a sleep-specialized dentist or medical professional, you have the chance to better your health (and save your life!).
This article's author is Jeny Shawn. For additional information regarding To know more about Sleep Apnea Toronto please continue browsing our website at bloordentalhealthcentre.com.
