Have you been struggling to stay awake at school or work? Are you constantly in a fog? Do you feel like sleepiness is holding you back from enjoying life?
You may have sleep apnea, and help is right around the corner! Learn more about this condition and how you can find sleep apnea treatment near you.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Have you ever heard the term “sleep apnea” before? Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that has the potential to become very dangerous. While sleeping, the normal breathing rhythm is disrupted by short pauses, and breathing can become very shallow. Breathing pauses can last anywhere from 10 seconds to over a minute, and can occur up to one hundred times at night.
This abnormal breathing during sleep keeps a person from falling into the deeper, restorative sleep they need. In turn, the person will feel sluggish, exhibiting poor concentration and reflexes. If sleep apnea becomes a prolonged problem, it can leave a person more susceptible to health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
What Are the Symptoms?
If you have been tossing and turning at night and exhibit two or more of the following symptoms, you may have sleep apnea. Symptoms include:
- Loud snoring
- Breathing pauses
- Sudden jolts at night
- Intense fatigue
- Nighttime gasping or choking
- Dry mouth
- Morning headaches
- Jaw pain
- Grinding teeth
- Sleepwalking
How Do You Get Diagnosed?
If you are worried that you may have sleep apnea, it is important for you to call your physician today. Physicians generally diagnose sleep apnea after an all night study that monitors your brain waves, breathing, heartbeat, and blood oxygen levels while you sleep. After the test, your doctor should be able to tell you if you have sleep apnea, and if so, the level of severity. From there, you can discuss your sleep apnea treatment plan.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
There are many different approaches to treating sleep apnea, but the most commonly prescribed treatment is called “Positive Airway Pressure” (PAP). PAP requires that you sleep hooked up to an airway nasal mask or nasal pillow all night long. This kind of equipment is very bulky and awkward to sleep with. Instead of finding the rest you need, you may end up tossing and turning all night in an effort to find a comfortable position.
If you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, new technologies can offer you a better solution: oral appliances. That’s right! Your sleep apnea treatment, and your journey towards uninterrupted sleep, may be found at your dentist’s office! Most oral appliance treatments come in the form of a mouthguard. These guards keep the lower jaw postured forward, allowing oxygen to flow more organically through your airways, without the uncomfortable gear that comes with PAP therapy.
Contact Us Today!
Get the rest you deserve! Schedule your free consultation to determine if you might be a candidate for a dental sleep apnea appliance, and let Barganier & LeCroy Family and Cosmetic Dentistry be your expert source for managing this condition.