Sleep apnea is dangerous. It occurs when your airflow is reduced significantly while you sleep or when you frequently stop breathing for short periods. This problem literally cuts off your air supply!
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I've had patients that have had as many as 86 during an hour. And an apnea, when it records, it means that you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more. It could be 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30, a minute, up to two minutes that you actually stop breathing.
We treat a lot of the mild and moderate cases. If a person was severe, I would have them try the CPAP first.
Some people experience long-term health effects when they ignore their sleep apnea. People with untreated sleep apnea often experience weight gain and an increased risk of problems like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke (the big killers). But it’s also possible to die in your sleep!
We diagnose sleep apnea by how many times you experience pauses in breathing at night — what we call “apneic episodes.” During these episodes, your brain and vital organs aren’t getting enough oxygen. There are different levels of sleep apnea, depending on how many episodes you experience every hour:
- Moderate sleep apnea occurs when you have as many as 14-30 apneic episodes every hour.
- Severe sleep apnea occurs when you have more than 30 apneic episodes every hour.
Imagine experiencing a few hundred apneic episodes every night. That’s a few hundred times your brain and the rest of your body is depleted of the oxygen it needs.
At The Sleep Apnea Center of Novi, we have a two-part process for determining your level of sleep apnea. First, you’ll take our sleep apnea quiz. This quiz determines your risk of sleep apnea. Next, you’ll visit our office to learn more about your risk for sleep apnea.
Call us today at 248-264-3922 for your free consultation and start your path toward a better night’s sleep.