There’s snoring — and then there’s SNORING! If your partner has mentioned that your snore is deafening at night, or they hear you gasping for air, it’s obviously going to concern them. And if you sleep alone, you might wake yourself up at night, struggling to breathe. One thing is certain: This isn’t healthy!
These are symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that affects scores of people across the country. In fact, it might shock you to learn that about 39 million suffer with the disruptive condition.
Make no mistake either — sleep apnea isn’t something to be ignored.
Fortunately, the talented and dedicated team at Expressions in Dentistry has special expertise in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea, so patients can enjoy higher quality rest again and cut their risk for an array of health conditions. Know that we’re invested in not only your dental health, but your overall well-being.
Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing for intervals that can be longer than 10 seconds while you’re sleeping. This happens when your throat muscles relax and obstruct the airflow to your lungs. When this happens repeatedly during a single night, your sleep beocmes seriously disrupted.
Though the number of times that people stop breathing while sleeping varies, severe sleep apnea can cause an individual to experience over 30 breathing interruptions within just one hour.
As we noted, sleep apnea isn’t just an annoyance. The condition raises your risk of:
This list is enough to make anyone want to get treated for sleep apnea and avoid these serious complications.
There are many unpleasant symptoms of sleep apnea in addition to roof-rattling snoring, and one of the most life-limiting is extreme daytime drowsiness and grouchiness (since you don’t get enough high-quality rest at night), gasping while you’re sleeping, and surprisingly, insomnia.
We noted earlier the most obvious signs of sleep apnea are roof-rattling snoring and gasping as you’re awakened from a breathing interruption. If you sleep with a partner, you’ve likely heard about these issues many times. In this way, sleep apnea disrupts not just your sleep, but your partner’s rest as well.
The day after a night with many limited breathing episodes isn’t easy. You may feel exhausted, have a hard time focusing, and be prone to headaches and dry mouth.
With limited real rest, many sleep apnea sufferers also experience mood problems and feel irritable, sad, and impatient during the day.
If you’ve put two and two together and the answer comes up as “sleep apnea,” it’s critical for you to seek care so you can enjoy deep sleep and good rest again — and function properly and energetically during your days.
Though the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine has been the go-to sleep apnea treatment for years, many find using it each night cumbersome and nearly as disruptive as sleep apnea itself. The device has a motor that sends a constant stream of pressurized air through a filter and then into a tube that goes to a mask covering your nose and mouth.
CPAP machines are bulky, restrictive, and can even cause dry mouth (like sleep apnea), skin issues where the mask goes over your face, congestion, and overall discomfort.
Fortunately, Expressions in Dentistry offers innovative, noninvasive VIVOSⓇ treatment for sleep apnea, which involves wearing an appliance while you sleep that gently and slowly enlarges your upper jaw, so your airway structure is adjusted. VIVOS has also been found to ease depression and anxiety in those who are treated.
Additionally, VIVOS treatment is appropriate for children who are at risk for developing sleep apnea, and it’s even known to help with bed-wetting issues and attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Your Expressions in Dentistry provider might also prescribe a custom-made mouthpiece called a mandibular advancement device that’s similar to a mouthguard you see athletes use. You wear it while you sleep, and it pushes your lower jaw just a bit forward, toward the front of your mouth, allowing your airway to open. The result? An end to sleep apnea breathing interruptions and daytime exhaustion.
Don’t believe that your only sleep apnea treatment option is the CPAP. We’ll be happy to talk with you about the other more comfortable and equally effective treatments we provide to people struggling with sleep apnea.
A much better night’s sleep awaits you if you get the right treatment!
Call our Folsom office at 916-983-6767 to schedule an appointment and learn more about sleep apnea treatments, or use our convenient online booking tool.
