Some of the reasons women are under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed with sleep apnea may be:

·       Female patients talk to their general practitioner about their sleep problem instead of a sleep specialist.

      General practitioner has preconceived notions about what and how typical sleep apnea patient should be like. Example: male, overweight, snore loudly.

·       Female patients are less likely to report loud, chronic snoring.

·       

     Women’s symptoms are often different, NOT “classic”, and ambiguous

-snoring is usually much lighter

-breathing problems during sleep more subtle

·       Female patients report different symptoms than men that may lead to misdiagnosis of other disorders:

·       Some of the different, NOT “classic”, ambiguous symptoms:

-fatigue, insomnia, headaches, mood disturbances, anemia, hypochondria, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, depression, and menopausal changes

Glendora Dentist, Dr. Anna Lee, is a trained dentist in Sleep Apnea.  Visit www.glendorasleep.com

Treatment Options For Sleep Apnea

Are you impacted by sleep apnea? Do you snore or struggle to get quality sleep? 

Here are a list of treatment options that can help you get your life back on track.  

·       Cause of snoring1: lifestyle

              Treatment: quite smoking, avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, sedatives, caffeine and heavy meals.  

              Exercise regularly

·       

        Cause of snoring2: overweight

           Treatment:  lose weight

·       

       Cause of snoring3: swollen tonsils

           Treatment:  tonsillectomy

·     

        Cause of snoring4: Obstructive Sleep Apnea

            Treatment: CPAP for moderate to severe OSA

            Treatment: Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) for mild to moderate OSA

            Treatment: Surgery

           Treatment options depend on the cause of snoring and the severity of the condition: consult with Glendora dentist, Dr. Anna Lee, to decide what treatment is best for you.