Sleep Apnea – Progressive Neurology & Sleep Center

What are different types of Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition that suggests breathing disturbance during sleep. There are two main kinds of sleep apnea. Obstructive and Central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. During this apnea, there is an obstruction to airflow which can result in oxygen desaturation. In central sleep apnea, there is a loss of signals from the brain that make us breathe causing breathing pauses.

What is an Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

As mentioned above, there is usually an obstruction to airflow through narrow nasal passage. This causes pauses in breathing which further causes decrease in oxygen saturation. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have snoring, wake up multiple times at night, wake up tired during the day and can stay sleepy during the day. The patients with sleep apnea can have higher risk of strokes and other heart problems over years.

How is Sleep Apnea diagnosed?

Sleep apnea is diagnosed with sleep study. The patients can have a home sleep study or can also have sleep study in a sleep lab. Progressive Neurology and Sleep Center in Chesapeake is an accredited Independent Sleep Practice for performing home sleep studies.

What is home sleep study?

During home sleep study, you will be given a belt to wear with a small device on it. There are a couple of attachments like a nasal cannula and a pulse oximeter. Detailed instructions will be provided on how to attach those connections and record your sleep.

What are different treatment options of Sleep Apnea?

CPAP is the mainstay of treatment for sleep apnea. There are other treatment options available as well. Oral appliance is a kind of dental device that can also work well in the patients with mild sleep apnea. There are some surgical options available for select patients. There are also some newer options like an implantable device that stimulates tongue to help apnea.

Link to Resources

Sleep Foundation https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
American Academy of Sleep Medicine https://aasm.org/clinical-resources/patient-info/

Progressive Neurology and Sleep Center is an accredited home sleep study center, serving patients with sleep difficulties. It serves patients from the Hampton Roads area including the cities of Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Outer Banks and surrounding areas.