Sleep Apnea Treatment – Glenpool, OK
Helping You Breathe Easier and Sleep Better
Many of our patients suffer from snoring or sleep apnea conditions. These not only affect the patient but can affect family members who share their rooms. You don’t have to live with snoring or sleep apnea. There are several options for sleep apnea treatment in Glenpool, OK that can minimize or eliminate the problems causing these conditions.
Why Choose 918 Dentist of Glenpool for Sleep Apnea Treatment?
- Better, Deeper Rest
- Custom Oral Appliances Available
- Happier, Healthier Well-Being
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea is a condition where the airway completely collapses blocking the airflow to your lungs. When the airway is blocked, the patient wakes briefly then immediately falls back to sleep. This is a cyclical process and can happen as many as 30 times an hour. Patients with sleep apnea have many health problems such as chronic fatigue, headaches, focus problems, etc.
Why Do I Snore?
Snoring occurs when the air traveling through your nasal passages travels faster than the size of the airway. This results in vibrations in the soft tissues of your throat that we commonly call snoring. There are several causes of snoring including enlarged tonsils, a long uvula (the soft tissue that hangs at the back of the throat), and nasal congestion stemming from allergies or deformities of the nasal passages.
One of the most common causes of snoring is when the tongue muscle becomes too relaxed during sleep. When the tongue muscle is hyper-relaxed, it can get sucked back into the throat causing vibrations when you breathe.
How is Snoring Related to Sleep Apnea?
One thing we should make clear is just because you snore doesn’t necessarily mean you have sleep apnea, and vice versa. However, chronic snoring is one of the leading symptoms associated with this sleep disorder.
If it is the case that you do snore and have sleep apnea, it is likely that you snore loudly and gasp for air while asleep. Oftentimes, if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you’ll sound more like you’re choking while snoring.
Other ways to tell if snoring and sleep apnea are related include:
- Gasping for air during the night while asleep
- Sleeping with your mouth open
- Fatigued during the daytime
Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can do more than just harm your inability to function normally. It can cause chronic fatigue, irritability, memory loss, and a host of other health-related problems. If left untreated, your sleep apnea can cause:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Weight gain
- Type 2 diabetes
- Asthma
- Acid reflux
- Potential accidents
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Both snoring and sleep apnea can be treated with oral devices that prevent the soft tissues of the mouth and throat from collapsing and keep the airway open and clear.
aveoTSD®
This is a tongue stabilizing device that works by suctioning onto the tongue preventing it from falling back into the throat. It is a simple and low-cost solution to chronic snoring.
Silent Nite® sl
This device holds the lower jaw in a forward position using special connectors attached to splints in the upper and lower jaw. It is thin, flexible and comfortable. It is an affordable way to treat both sleep apnea and snoring.
Additional Devices
There are three additional devices used to treat sleep apnea: TAP®, TAP 3TL®, and EMA – all of which work to keep the airway open.