Sleep Apnea is stopping breathing in sleep. It is common. It affects 25 million Americans ages 30 through 70. One in five men has it. One in 10 women has it. Sleep Apnea can cause premature death.

Why is Sleep Apnea Dangerous to My Health?

When the tissues in your throat relax, they can partially block your airway, causing a vibrating sound that we call “snoring.” Depending on your size and some other lifestyle factors, your snoring can be softer or louder. The louder the snoring, the stronger the chance you have OSA. People with sleep apnea often stop breathing while they are sleeping –for 10 seconds to more than a minute. The dangers of untreated sleep apnea are far worse than being sent to the couch by your partner.

• Health-related dangers include
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Irregular Heartbeat
• High Blood Pressure
• Difficulty Controlling Diabetes
• Mood Disorders
• Insomnia
• Erectile dysfunction
• Premature Death

In addition to being tired or sleepy, people with sleep apnea find themselves at increased risk for accidents, memory loss or attention deficits. Sleep apnea can affect coordination. This can impair your golf game and other daily activities.

Two Types of Sleep Apnea: Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea

When people have obstructive sleep apnea, their throat closes when they are sleeping. This may happen in part because they have too much tissue in their throat, a large tongue or a small lower jaw. Their throat tissues also collapse more when they sleep. Age and weight play a role. So do the hormonal changes with menopause. Alcohol and sleeping pills make it worse.

Patients with central apnea have a different problem. In these cases, the brain does not tell the body to breathe during sleep. Reasons for this could be: painkillers, heart failure, a serious neurological disease, or a drop in carbon dioxide levels caused by over-treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Patients with sleep apnea have a drop in blood oxygen levels as they sleep. This causes a release of inflammatory chemicals that, in turn, cause tissue damage all over the body and brain.

It is critically important to have sleep apnea properly diagnosed and treated. Your life depends on it. Call Dr. R Bart Sangal right away to schedule your consultation.

These are some symptoms of sleep apnea:

• Snoring
• Loud snoring (can be heard through closed door)
• Waking up gasping or choking for breath
• Stopping breathing while sleeping
• Tiredness and sleepiness

These are some signs of sleep apnea:

• Large neck
• Obesity
• Small lower jaw
• Large tongue
• Crowded throat
• High blood pressure

If you snore or your loved one is snoring, come to us. Find out if your snoring is due to sleep apnea. Come to the most experienced sleep doctor and sleep center in Michigan. You will live longer. You will feel better and younger. You will stop snoring. We treat patients from all over the Greater Detroit region including Royal Oak, Pontiac and Macomb Township.

A sleep test or sleep study test diagnoses sleep apnea. The Sleep & Attention Disorders Institute is the oldest continuously accredited sleep center in the Detroit area. The test is painless and the facility is comfortable. There is no reason to be worried about your test. Our staff is very friendly.

During a test for obstructive sleep apnea, we will find out if you are repeatedly stopping breathing or experiencing decreased breathing. The test will show a drop in blood oxygen.

On the night you are scheduled for a sleep test, you will come to the Sleep & Attention Disorders Institute in Sterling Heights, Mich. You spend the night sleeping in a very comfortable bed in a beautifully decorated room. The sleep center doesn’t look, sound or feel like a hospital.

During the painless test, sensors are applied to your skin. The sensors record:

• Brain waves
• Eye activity
• Chin activity
• Breathing effort
• Airflow
• Heart rhythm
• Blood oxygen
• Leg activity

The test can also determine sleep stages and breathing abnormalities. The testing counts how many breathing abnormalities you have. These can have a seriously negative effect on sleep, oxygen intake and heart rhythm.

Our well-trained technicians are monitoring you all night long. If a sensor falls off while you are sleeping, they will reattach it. If you need to use the restroom during the night, a technologist will detach the sensors and reattach them quickly upon your return.

This is the best sleep apnea test. Sleep apnea patients may stop breathing 100 or more times at night. Blood oxygen falls. Brain oxygen falls. Blood pressure rises. Heart rate drops. Irregular heartbeats may occur. The body responds with inflammation. The brain suffers damage. This causes sleepiness and memory problems. Risk of heart attacks, strokes and early death increases.

The quick answer is “yes,” home sleep apnea tests are available. You can come to the Sleep & Attention Disorders Institute in Sterling Heights and we will apply the sensors to your skin. We will send you home with a machine and instructions on how to take the test. When necessary, we can even deliver a sleep test device to your home and show you how to use it. You will return the device the next day.

Home sleep apnea tests monitor breathing effort, airflow, blood oxygen and heart rate. However, home sleep apnea tests cannot record whether you are sleeping or not. If you are awake for part of the night, it might make it seem like you do not have sleep apnea. A technologist is not present. If sensors fall off while you are sleeping, they will not be re-attached.

The bottom line is this: home sleep apnea tests are not the best option for diagnosing dangerous sleep apnea. However, many insurance companies require you to take a home sleep apnea test first. If you have a negative home test, it is inconclusive and you will not know if you really do not have sleep apnea. These insurance companies then allow an in-center sleep test (polysomnography).You will then come to the sleep center to re-do the test so we can properly diagnose and treat your sleep apnea.