Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is one of the most common sleep disorders today and has reached epidemic proportions becoming more numerous then diabetes. Northern California Sleep Apnea Dentist Dr. Abramson is a specialist in working with patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
At this time it is estimated to affecting up to 17% of all adult population with men out numbering women 2 to 1 up until women reach menopause when the ratio becomes even. This is truly a public health crisis.
In sleep apnea syndromes reduction or complete cutting off of the airway in sleep, hypopnea or apnea, and resultant lowering of oxygen in the blood cause the brain to call the body to “wake up and breathe”. The brain directs a release of adrenaline to jolt the body to awaken interrupting one’s sleep. These interruptions in sleep, arousals, can occur every 2 minutes to every 30 seconds on average in severe apnea.
In obstructive sleep apnea the interruptions in sleep do not allow one to get into the refreshing deep stages of sleep and not only causes loss of sleep, but selective loss of deep restful sleep and REM sleep which is important for the health of our body and memory function and attention.
In addition, sleep apnea syndromes cause many other medical conditions secondarily, and even sudden death.
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These include:
- high blood pressure,
- heart failure,
- lung dysfunction,
- heart attacks,
- strokes,
- attention deficit disorder,
- gastric reflux,
- heart arrhythmias,
- night time urination
- and mood disorders.