Board certified sleep physician, Dr. John Krehlik, has practiced medicine in Alaska for over three decades. From his main offices in Anchorage and Juneau, Dr. John Krehlik diagnoses and treats sleep-related conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a serious but relatively common disorder that causes breathing interruptions during sleep. The most common form of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), occurs when a person’s airway is blocked, usually by the collapsing of the soft tissue at the back of the throat. Common signs of OSA include loud snoring and the cessation of breathing, often leading to incidents of gasping and choking.
Many times, these symptoms drastically affect one’s sleep and lead to morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue, and irritability, among other symptoms. OSA can affect anyone regardless of age. However, there are risk factors associated with the disorder, and they include being overweight, possessing a family history of sleep apnea, possessing a large neck, and nasal obstruction caused by sinus problems, allergies, or a deviated septum.
Despite the effects of OSA, those living with it often go undiagnosed for some time. This can increase their chances of developing a number of serious health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, or diabetes. Once diagnosed, however, OSA can typically be treated with the help of lifestyle changes, dental devices, or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment that involves wearing a breathing device over the nose and mouth during sleep.
www.AlaskaSleepDoctor.com
Sleep apnea is a serious but relatively common disorder that causes breathing interruptions during sleep. The most common form of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), occurs when a person’s airway is blocked, usually by the collapsing of the soft tissue at the back of the throat. Common signs of OSA include loud snoring and the cessation of breathing, often leading to incidents of gasping and choking.
Many times, these symptoms drastically affect one’s sleep and lead to morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue, and irritability, among other symptoms. OSA can affect anyone regardless of age. However, there are risk factors associated with the disorder, and they include being overweight, possessing a family history of sleep apnea, possessing a large neck, and nasal obstruction caused by sinus problems, allergies, or a deviated septum.
Despite the effects of OSA, those living with it often go undiagnosed for some time. This can increase their chances of developing a number of serious health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, or diabetes. Once diagnosed, however, OSA can typically be treated with the help of lifestyle changes, dental devices, or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment that involves wearing a breathing device over the nose and mouth during sleep.
www.AlaskaSleepDoctor.com