How Sleep Apnea Treatment Can Heal Your Brain

Your brain is your body’s most essential component. It is the key to everything you think, feel, and do. It is more complex than any computer and more precious than anything money can buy. You have every reason to do all you can to protect this priceless organ and keep it functioning at its best. If you have untreated sleep apnea in Vero Beach, however, your brain may be suffering some serious damage. Let’s discuss how getting treated for your sleep disorder may be able to reverse the damage and help you enjoy a higher quality of life.

Sleep Apnea and Brain Damage

Your central nervous system, of which the brain is the main part, contains two main types of tissue: white matter and gray matter. Gray matter is essential for most of your brain’s functions; it plays a role in muscle control, memory, emotions, and sensory perception. White matter is like the brain’s “subway system.” It connects different portions of gray matter, thus ensuring that information gets where it needs to go.

Untreated sleep apnea can significantly reduce the amount of both gray and white matter in the brain. As a result, individuals may experience significant problems with concentration, memory, and mood. The damage occurs because obstructive sleep apnea in Vero Beach hinders breathing at night and deprives the brain of an adequate oxygen supply.

How Sleep Apnea Treatment Can Help

Treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) ensures freer airflow at night, which helps the brain to get the oxygen it needs to function at its best. A study published in 2014 found that after 12 months of sleep apnea treatment with a CPAP machine, men who had suffered significant white matter damage were almost completely recovered. After only three months of treatment, the gray matter damage was reversed. The study participants experienced improved alertness, cognitive scores, mood, and quality of life after they began treatment.

CPAP therapy is not the only viable sleep apnea treatment that modern medicine offers. Many patients enjoy excellent results when they use an oral appliance, which promotes airflow by gently repositioning the jaw at night. Some individuals use both a CPAP and an oral appliance to get the high-quality rest their brain needs to function at its best.

Do You Need Sleep Apnea Treatment?

OSA is a dangerous condition, and you should do all you can to protect yourself from its devastating consequences. If you are experiencing mood problems, trouble concentrating, and lowered work productivity, it is possible that OSA is robbing your brain of the oxygen it needs. Getting tested and treated for OSA could change your life!

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Mogell is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. He has helped many patients to find relief from OSA via oral appliance therapy. If you would like to learn how Dr. Mogell may be able to help your mind and body enjoy the benefits of high-quality sleep, contact our Vero Beach office today at 772-882-6800.