Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that disrupts your breathing patterns during sleep. It causes pauses in breathing or shallow breaths, often leading to a restless night and subsequent daytime fatigue. Three main types of sleep apnea include obstructive, central, and complex sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type, occurs when the throat muscles relax. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles controlling breathing. Complex sleep apnea syndrome involves a combination of both types.
If you're experiencing loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, or frequently waking up with a headache and feeling excessively tired, seek medical advice from our sleep specialist in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL. Here's where Dr. Jeremy McConnell at Florida Sleep Specialists can make a significant difference in your life. His expertise in sleep medicine, coupled with a compassionate approach, ensures a thorough evaluation and tailored treatment plan.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by repeated breathing interruptions during sleep. These interruptions occur when the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airway, leading to momentary pauses in breathing.
Individuals with OSA often experience daytime drowsiness, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating, and irritability due to disrupted sleep patterns. The significance of diagnosing OSA lies in its potential health ramifications. Untreated OSA can lead to severe complications such as high blood pressure, heart problems, increased risk of stroke, diabetes, and impaired cognitive function.
Obstructive sleep apnea can exacerbate existing conditions, worsening quality of life and overall health. A proper diagnosis involves a sleep study conducted in a specialized clinic to monitor breathing patterns during sleep, enabling our sleep specialist in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL, to determine the severity of the condition.
Recognizing the signs and seeking medical attention is crucial. Prompt diagnosis and subsequent treatment, which may involve lifestyle changes, oral appliances, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, can significantly improve sleep quality and overall health, reducing the risks associated with untreated OSA and enhancing your well-being.
How a Sleep Specialist Can Help
Our sleep specialist in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL, assesses sleep apnea by conducting a comprehensive evaluation, which involves a sleep study to monitor breathing patterns, heart rate, and other vital signs during sleep.
Through this analysis, Dr. McConnell confirms the diagnosis and determines the apnea severity. Treatment options may include lifestyle changes, such as weight management or positional therapy, and medical interventions like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. The specialist provides personalized guidance, monitors progress, and adjusts treatments to improve sleep quality and overall health.
Please visit our website to learn more about the conditions we treat and the services provided. If you have concerns only our sleep specialist in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL, can address, schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeremy McConnell. We offer two convenient Florida Sleep Specialists locations for our patients. Please call (941) 792-8383 for our Bradenton office and (941) 827-0701 for our Sarasota location.