What Are The Different Types of Sleep Apnea?

At Forestream Dental, we help Buffalo-area patients find solutions to sleep apnea. It's important to treat sleep apnea quickly, both because restful, restorative sleep is crucial and because if left untreated, this condition can pose a serious threat to your overall health and well-being.

The first step to treating sleep apnea is diagnosing it. We'll need to determine which type of sleep apnea you're suffering from. Once we do, we can go from there in finding the proper treatment for you.

There are three types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea: This is by far the most common form of sleep apnea. When your throat muscles soften or relax during sleep, your airway can narrow or even close entirely. You briefly stop breathing, and your brain brings you out of sleep for a moment. Often, this interruption isn't noticeable at the time it occurs, but it will still prevent you from getting the full restorative benefits of your sleep.
   
• Central sleep apnea: Often an effect of heart disease or stroke, central sleep apnea occurs when your brain fails to send the proper signals to your muscles instructing them to breathe. These interruptions are more noticeable and sufferers often remember them.
   
• Complex sleep apnea: This is essentially a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea. Your airway is blocked, but you also experience central sleep apnea's brain signal failures.

As you can probably imagine, the different types of sleep apnea require different methods of treatment. Dr. Evola has decades of experience diagnosing and treating sleep apnea, so you can trust that he and his staff will help you find the right path to restful, restorative sleep.

If you live in or around Buffalo, New York and you suffer from sleep apnea, we can help. Please call Forestream Dental today at 716-656-8686 for a consultation and examination.