Millions of Americans have sleep apnea, a serious sleeping disorder characterized by breathing cessation of ten seconds or longer while you sleep. Those patient in Miami Beach with sleep apnea experience breathing cessations because the soft tissue in the airway collapses, forcing you to gasp or choke for air. These short periods of not breathing may occur hundreds of times per night, and many people don’t even know they have sleep apnea because they sleep right through the breathing cessations. Oftentimes, a partner or other family member who sleeps in close proximity will note the sleep disorder first.
Sleep apnea in Miami Beach does much more than interfere with sound sleep; it also takes its toll on the sufferer’s health and wellbeing in many ways—some of which are not readily apparent at first glance. Whether your life is minimally affected by sleep apnea or majorly affected by sleep apnea, there is help available to you. A Miami Beach, Florida, sleep apnea dentist can create a treatment plan just for you after you’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. While there are three types of sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea), OSA is the most common type and the type you most likely have if you note any of these symptoms:
- Snoring
- Daytime sleepiness
- Fatigue
- Restlessness
- Waking in the night gasping/choking for air
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Sexual dysfunction
While these are the most common signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in Miami Beach, there are a number of less-obvious ways that OSA may wreak havoc in your life. Let’s take a look at just a few of the issues that you may be dealing with as you suffer from sleep apnea in Miami Beach, Florida.
Lesser-Known Effects of Sleep Apnea
Some of the more serious medical conditions that may result from sleep apnea include:
- Heart disease
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Mood disorders (anxiety, depression, mood swings)
- Type II Diabetes, known as Diabetes Mellitus
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Metabolic Syndrome (characterized by a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and a large waist circumference)
Sleep Apnea’s Negative Effects on Daily Life
There are other ways Miami Beach sleep apnea can interfere with a healthy, happy life. Think about all the fatigued drivers on American roadways who are experiencing daytime sleepiness and fatigue from a poor night’s sleep. Fatigue and lack of sleep can result in poor concentration, mood swings, and irritability that make it impossible to focus on the road and react in a split second to dangerous conditions.
Exhaustion from lack of good sleep can lead people to be irritable and angry, making it very difficult to stay calm, cool, and collected when on crowded highways. Simply driving to work every day can be dangerous, and people who suffer from sleep apnea often don’t have the patience required to put up with the challenges that daily driving presents.
Lower productivity/lost productivity at work is a common result of sleep apnea in Miami Beach. You know how you feel after a great night’s sleep? You feel you can take on anything, and you’re highly productive and energetic. Well, those with obstructive sleep apnea in Miami Beach rarely get a good night’s sleep, so low or lost productivity is a fact of life for many sleep apnea sufferers.
Sleep apnea has been shown to impair cognitive function in older adults. Memory loss in older adults is quite common; however, it is exacerbated when the person suffers from sleep apnea. Early in 2022, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis monitored the driving and sleep habits of people 65 and older; a chip was installed in their vehicles to monitor their every move while driving. The study showed that the odds of risky driving behaviors increased by a whopping 27% in the adults who were diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Get Help for Sleep Apnea in Miami Beach, Florida Today
If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, why wait another day to get help for this serious medical condition? SoBe Dentist™ in Miami Beach, Florida, has sleep apnea dentists with many years of experience treating this complex sleeping disorder. Undiagnosed sleep apnea in Miami Beach can negatively affect your life in so many ways. Please call SoBe Dentist™ in Miami Beach (305) 535-2225 or use our online contact form to let us know how we can help you.
