Sleep Apnea is a daunting problem, and can even prove to be fatal if ignored and left untreated. It results in chronic breathlessness and nightly waking as a result of the airway being blocked by tissues. While the causes of sleep apnea stem from a range of things—age, weight, stress, underlying illness, and unfavorable behavioral patterns such as drinking, smoking and not getting enough sleep—and some of its signs and symptoms may be easy to detect, some signs may remain covert until it is too late. In such circumstances, seeking the advice of a doctor is recommended.
Here are a few ways in which a sleep apnea doctor can help treat your condition.
- Identification: The best way to treat a condition is to identify what causes it in the first place. Sleep Apnea doctors help unearth the root of your problem through examination and diagnosis, explaining to you in necessary detail as to where your sleep apnea stems from and what can be done to moderate or cure it.
- Diagnosis: Your sleep apnea doctor may draw an evaluation based on the signs and symptoms you exhibit. They may also examine your sleep history, which you can easily provide with the assistance of a family member you share your bed with. For further tests, you may also be referred to a sleep disorder center, wherein specialists monitor your breathing and other bodily functions overnight and help you determine whether or not you require further evaluation. Sleep Apnea doctors in Seattle use a variety of tests to detect sleeping disorders, such as home sleep tests or Nocturnal polysomnography.
- Recommendation: If symptoms indicate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), your doctor may refer you to an ENT specialist to help eliminate the blockage in your nose or throat. An evaluation made by a cardiologist or a neurologist may also be necessary in order to figure out the causes of your sleep apnea.
- Treatment: Based on your diagnosis, you may be recommended a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy (CPAP) to regulate your breathing and moderate your problem. However, despite CPAP being the most common and reliable method of treating sleep apnea, many patients find it uncomfortable, intolerable, and cumbersome to deal with the hassle of maintaining and replacing the equipment. In such cases, your doctor may refer you to a sleep apnea dentist to help increase your comfort level. The dentist may then recommend to you a dental or oral appliance that opens your throat by bringing your jaw forward, thereby opening your airway and letting you breathe properly without going through the hassle of a dry, running, or stuffy nose.
Apart from therapies, sleep apnea doctors also help you moderate your unfavorable behavior patterns and live a healthy lifestyle, which is an essential step towards curing sleep apnea. For the best results, therefore, it is advisable to see your nearest sleep apnea doctor and seek their guidance.
Seattle Sleep Solution 