{"id":22,"date":"2022-07-01T00:29:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T00:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planodentaldistinction.com\/blog\/?p=22"},"modified":"2022-11-22T00:31:02","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T00:31:02","slug":"heres-what-you-really-need-to-know-about-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planodentaldistinction.com\/blog\/heres-what-you-really-need-to-know-about-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s What You Really Need to Know About Sleep Apnea"},"content":{"rendered":"
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According to the Sleepapnea.org, it\u2019s estimated that 22 million people<\/a> in the United States have sleep apnea. Even more alarming is that approximately 80% of cases of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea are thought to be undiagnosed. The reason for this alarm is that sleep apnea is a problem that extends far beyond simply snoring and can affect other areas of your health, including your heart and metabolic health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To explain this further,\u00a0Dr. Mohammed Mansour<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0team<\/a>\u00a0here at Plano Dental Distinction want to take this opportunity to discuss sleep apnea and its potential complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Behind sleep apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two main types of sleep apnea \u2014 central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Far and away, the more common type of this sleep disorder is OSA, which we\u2019re going to focus on here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you have OSA, soft tissues at the back of your throat collapse while you sleep, blocking your airways and your ability to breathe. When your brain registers this inability, it rouses you just enough so that you can clear your throat and breathe easier again. In other words, you may not be aware this is happening, but we can assure you that your bed partner likely is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this happened once or twice, there likely wouldn\u2019t be any issues, but people with moderate-to-severe OSA develop this airway collapse frequently throughout the night \u2014 sometimes dozens of times per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complications of sleep apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the direct complications of OSA is a lack of restorative sleep, which can lead to daytime sleepiness and fatigue. It\u2019s hard to overstate the importance of restorative sleep, as your body uses this time to reset itself, balance hormones, and create memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re not getting the restful sleep you need, it can indirectly put you at a greater risk for a wide range of potentially serious health issues, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n