What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition that interrupts your ability to properly breathe while you sleep. People who suffer from sleep apnea repeatedly stop breathing for periods of 10 seconds or longer throughout the night.
These periods of breathlessness can occur up to hundreds of times a night and last up to minutes, during which time your body is deprived of essential oxygen.
There are roughly 22 million people in the United States living with sleep apnea, many of which are unaware that they even have it.
What causes sleep apnea?
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by the muscles in the back of your throat relaxing to the point where they block your airway.
Some of the risk factors that make you more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Being overweight
- Having a thicker neck
- Having a narrow airway
- Having enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- Having a family history of sleep apnea
- Using tranquilizers, sedatives, or alcohol
- Smoking
Obstructive sleep apnea is more common in men and it’s seen much more frequently in older adults.
What are the signs of sleep apnea?
As a sleep disorder, many of the telltale signs of sleep apnea, like loud snoring and interrupted breathing, happen when you’re asleep. There are a handful of other symptoms, however, that might indicate you’re suffering from sleep apnea, like:
- Waking up gasping for air
- Headaches in the morning
- Dry mouth when you wake up
- Insomnia, or difficulty sleeping
- Hypersomnia, or excessive tiredness during the day
Sleep apnea can also make it more difficult to concentrate, focus, or pay attention throughout the day, and leave you more irritable.
What are the dangers of sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea deprives your body of oxygen, which makes it a particularly dangerous condition. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to:
- Depression
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Weight gain, slow metabolism, and difficulty losing weight
- Sore throat
- Gastric reflux
- Short-term memory problems
If you think you’re suffering from sleep apnea, schedule a visit with Palmetto Family Dental immediately to get the treatment you need.
How do you treat sleep apnea?
The team of experts at Palmetto Family Dental provides oral appliance therapy as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Oral appliance therapy involves creating a custom-fitted and removable mouth guard for you to wear over your teeth while you sleep. The appliance gently pushes your lower jaw forward, which helps open up your airway and let your body get oxygen.
Schedule a visit with Palmetto Family Dental today by calling the office or booking online, and get started on a better night’s rest with your oral appliance therapy today.
