When you wake up, are both you and your partner irritated just about every morning? Have you both not been getting enough rest? Although you seem to be sleeping, you feel inexplicably tired and your partner is constantly complaining about your horrible snoring habit. Believe it or not, you may be suffering from a sleeping disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). There are many patients that have suffered from the same disorder, but they’ve sought help for their sleep apnea from their dentist in Jenks at Complete Cosmetic Care Dentistry. If you’re tired of the quality of your life declining for both you and your sleeping partner, it may be time to learn about what our dental team can do for you and your family.
Why do I snore because of sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common type of sleeping disorder that interrupts breathing. This usually takes place because of the relaxed muscles in the back of your throat. If you have a partner that sleeps with you every night, they may notice the most common symptoms like gasping, choking, or snoring sound while you sleep. These sounds may occur repeatedly 5 to 30 times or more each hour throughout the night. Whenever these take place, that’s your body resetting so that you can receive the vital oxygen it needs to survive the night.
Snoring happens when the throat muscles relax. Your tongue may fall to the back of your throat and your airways become more narrow than normal. Snoring occurs primarily when you inhale, but can also happen to a lesser degree when you exhale. Your body briefly wakes up to resume breathing by the brain, but most patients don’t ever recall waking up. Basically, your brain just isn’t getting it’s critical full night of rest.
Are you a high-risk sleep apnea patient?
Age isn’t the only factor that can result in sleep apnea. There are some factors that increase this risk:
- Age– People age 40 and over are at higher risk.
- Being overweight– An obstruction of breathing can be caused by fat deposits around the upper airway.
- Being male– More likely to occur in males than females.
- Family history –The risk of developing sleep apnea is greater for people who have family members with this condition.
- Alcohol use– This type of beverage relaxes the throat muscles.
- Smoking– Smoking can cause inflammation and fluid retention in the airway.
- Neck circumference– The airway may become narrower with a thicker neck.
- Narrowed airway– Enlarged adenoids or tonsils or a naturally narrow throat.
- Nasal congestion –If you have difficulty breathing through your nose, your chances of developing OSA is greater.
Patients that are living with sleep apnea are susceptible to dangerous after-effects. Since your body isn’t receiving the sleep you need, you’ll most likely feel extremely fatigued, depressed, and trouble concentrating. This leads to a higher risk for motor vehicle accidents, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and even strokes.
Who should I seek help from?
Sleep apnea can be hard to diagnose alone, or even with your partner if they’re a hard sleeper. The best way to get a better understanding of your snoring habit is to seek diagnosis help from our dental team at Complete Cosmetic Care Dentistry and follow up with one of our treatments:
- aveoTSD® – a tongue stabilizing device. It suctions onto the tongue to prevent it from falling back into the throat.
- Silent Nite® sl – a device holds the lower jaw in a forward position. It is thin, flexible and comfortable.
- Ask us about our three additional devices used to treat sleep apnea: TAP®, TAP 3TL® and EMA – all of which work to keep the airway open.
If you’re interested in receiving more details on sleep apnea or how we can help you, contact our office. We’re more than happy to help patients regain a full night’s sleep once again.