What’s Your Risk for the Complications of Sleep Apnea?

Why aren’t you getting a full night’s sleep? Do you wake-up to household full of angry people because your snoring is so loud that it could wake the dead? Does your own snoring wake you up from time to time?

Snoring is no joke. Maybe you think of it as just a nuisance that annoys you and your sleeping partner. After all 40 million Americans of all ages, genders, and weights snore on a regular basis. But sometimes snoring is not just snoring, you may be suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can keep you from getting the rest you need to function during the day. It can increase your levels of daytime fatigue and make you more likely to suffer from serious health conditions or be involved in an accident. So what do you do about sleep apnea?

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we offer practical and advanced treatments for sleep apnea. We can help you get an accurate diagnosis of your condition and then treat the problem. But the first step in treating sleep apnea is to recognize that you may need to do something about your snoring.

So in today’s post of our dental health blog we’re going to look at the symptoms and cause of sleep apnea. Then we’ll describe the various treatments available to help you get the sleep you need to live your life to the fullest. Let’s get started!

Understanding the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

The most frequent symptom of sleep apnea is loud snoring which occurs on a regular basis. If you live alone you may be suffering from sleep apnea and not even realize it because you don’t hear yourself snoring. But sleep apnea is a potential serious condition which can cause pauses in your breathing. As such waking up and needing to gasp for air to catch your breath is a symptom of untreated sleep apnea.

Fatigue is the other telltale symptom of sleep apnea. Do you feel tired during the day even after you get a full six to eight hours of sleep? Maybe you find yourself drifting off to sleep while watching the evening news or while taking your morning shower. Fatigue can be incredibly dangerous if you start to fall asleep while driving, operating machinery, or engaging in other activities. High levels of fatigue can even increase your risk of suffering from depression.

Understanding the Cause of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when there’s an obstruction in your airway which prevents normal breathing patterns while you’re asleep. Obstructions in your airways can be caused by various problems including the improper relaxation of muscles in your throat, congestion and other problems with your sinuses, the size of your neck, the size of your tonsils, or the size of your tongue.

If you’re suffering from sleep apnea you may wakeup dozens or even hundreds of time a night without realizing it. Because sleep apnea prevents you from breathing properly it can lead to serous health conditions. Sleep apnea has been linked to heart problems (including heart attacks and heart failure), strokes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

Getting Treatment for Sleep Apnea

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we can detect, diagnose, and treat sleep apnea in conjunction with a local sleep apnea specialist. After we examine your health history for other potential causes of your snoring, the sleep specialist may order a sleep study. During a sleep study your breathing and sleep patterns are monitored to determine how often you stop breathing while you’re asleep.

If we find evidence of sleep apnea , we can provide treatments for sleep apnea. Sometime this is as simple as adjusting your sleeping position.Other times we recommend a snore guard to wear while you sleep. A snore guard is an oral appliance such as a mouthguard which is customized to fit you perfectly. A snore guard helps to keep your jaw forward and block the muscles in your throat from relaxing improperly.

For more advanced cases of sleep apnea, we may recommend a sleep apnea machine such a CPAP machine. CPAP machines help regulate your breathing by providing air to your nostrils. Strapless CPAP machines are available to prevent disruption to your sleeping habits.

Make an Appointment

Are you ready to get a good night’s sleep? Are you ready to get practical treatments for your sleep apnea? Then you’re ready to schedule an appointment at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX. Call us today at 972-380-8105 to schedule your consultation.