How Does Sleep Apnea Impact Your Life?

Do you have or know someone who has sleep apnea? It's fairly common and can actually impact your life and cause change, but the good news is that you CAN live with it. Our mid-Missouri health clinics want you to know the symptoms that tell you, you might have sleep apnea, what sleep apnea is, and how to treat it.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

It can be very difficult to identify symptoms of sleep apnea since you are asleep, but you can have a sleeping partner help you or have your sleep recorded by a professional. These are some of the symptoms that could indicate you might have sleep apnea:

• Waking up in the night feeling short of breath
• Pauses in breath
• Loud and chronic snoring almost every night
• Choking, snorting, or gasping during sleep
• Being sleepy and feeling fatigued during the day, no matter how much time you spend in bed

Sleep Apnea Defined

Sleep apnea is a common, but serious sleep disorder that occurs when you're breathing is briefly interrupted when you are asleep. There are 3 types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea - This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes during sleep, blocking the airway, often causing you to snore loudly.

• Central Sleep Apnea - This is a much less common type of sleep apnea that involves the central nervous system.  This occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control breathing. People who have central sleep apnea seldom snore.

• Complex Sleep Apnea - This is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

How Sleep Apnea is Treated

Treatment for sleep apnea has come a long way, so if in the past you were unhappy with treatment, you may be impressed now. Some of the treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea include:

• CPAP
• Other breathing devices
• Dental devices
• Implants
• Surgery

Only seek these options if they are prescribed to you by a doctor. For other treatment options, consult a doctor.

In Need of Affordable Quality Healthcare?

Central Ozark Medical Center has a goal of keeping the lack of health insurance from being a roadblock to getting quality healthcare. Our mission is to increase access to comprehensive primary and preventative health care and to improve the healthcare status of underserved and vulnerable populations in Camden, Laclede, Miller and Pulaski Counties. Our belief is that it is not just what we do here at Central Ozarks Medical Center, but how we do it that makes all the difference. Central Ozarks Medical Center provides a broad set of services based on the needs of the communities we serve. We pride ourselves on offering quality healthcare that works best for your financial situation. If you are uninsured and would like to look at insurance options we have Assisters to help you navigate the process. 

Central Ozarks Medical Center
Keeping Lack of Insurance From Being a Roadblock to Quality Healthcare

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573.765.5141 -- Richland
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Serving Camdenton, Laclede, Pulaski, and Miller Counties