Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder that can cause a number of complications. Your breathing may pause or completely stop many times throughout the night. This is due to your upper airway becoming too narrow, usually because of the position of your jaw. With less oxygen reaching your lungs, there is also less oxygen being delivered to your vital organs.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
- Loud Snoring | This is the most common symptom of sleep apnea.
- Sore or Dry Throat | Do you wake up with a sore throat on a regular basis? It could be sleep apnea.
- Headaches | You may experience headaches in the morning when you wake up.
- Fatigue | Fatigue throughout the day can be caused by lack of adequate REM sleep. You may notice extreme sleepiness when you’re driving.
- Lack of Energy | You may find that you don’t have the energy to accomplish all your tasks throughout the day.
- Irritability | Are you finding yourself with a hair-trigger temper? This might be connected to sleep apnea.
- Forgetfulness | It is common to have memory issues when you are suffering from sleep apnea.
Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea
The main benefit of treating sleep apnea is that you may find all of your symptoms resolved. This means no more snoring, waking up with a sore throat and headaches. It is possible to have more energy again! Treating sleep apnea helps you take back control of your life.
Treatment Options
- Oral Appliance Therapy | An oral appliance looks like a mouth guard. It is customized to fit your bite and holds your jaw at an angle that allows the airway to remain open throughout the night. Oral appliance therapy is cost-effective, costing much less than traditional CPAP treatment, and the device is convenient to travel with!
- CPAP | A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device is a machine that uses a mask to push air through your airway. This treatment is expensive and it can be inconvenient to carry a CPAP machine when you travel.
- Lifestyle Changes | A key factor in sleep apnea is often excess weight. By losing weight, you help remedy your sleep apnea. It is important to note that you should work on lifestyle changes in conjunction with other medical treatments, not in place of.
- Surgery | In severe cases, surgery may be the best option for your sleep apnea treatment.
What Do I Do First?
First, we must determine if you suffer from sleep apnea. There are several ways you can get tested. The first option is to do an at-home sleep test. The second option is to do a doctor-monitored test at a sleep clinic. Once we know that you suffer from sleep apnea, we can proceed with your treatment option. At this office, we offer Oral Appliance Therapy.
Don’t Sleep on Sleep Apnea!
At Bloomfield Dental Group, we know how serious sleep apnea is and we’re ready to treat it! Allow us to use our experience to help you! Call for your first appointment today.