Millions of people around the country deal with sleep apnea, a disorder where your breathing ceases for periods of time as you sleep. While these times are brief, most people don’t even recognize that it’s happening. The trouble is that even if you don’t realize you have the condition, it can lead to serious health consequences.
Wondering how you can know if you have sleep apnea? There are a few different signs that you can look out for, or have your partner look out for:
Certain people are more at risk of sleep apnea than others. Those who are overweight, smoke, drink, use sedatives, or have a history of sleep apnea are at a higher risk. While people of any gender and age can have the sleep disorder, it’s more common in males and in adults over 40 years of age.
It may seem unusual to visit a dentist for sleep disorder treatment, but depending on the type and severity of apnea you have, we can actually address the condition with the help of a personalized oral appliance. To treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), we can design a device that repositions your mouth to prevent the soft tissues in the back of your throat from collapsing and blocking your airway. This allows for a continual flow of oxygen as you sleep. Appliances such as these offer OSA patients a more comfortable, quiet, and convenient treatment alternative to the CPAP machine.
If you are at all concerned that you or someone in your family has sleep apnea, we strongly advise that you contact our practice so that we can evaluate your case using our appropriate questionnaires and a thorough examination. If it’s determined that you require oral appliance treatment, we can fit you with a custom device. Dr. Jason Perlman has received special training in sleep therapy, and he is happy to answer any questions you might have.
SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATIONOnce it has been determined that you are suffering from sleep apnea, we’ll schedule an appointment to have your custom oral appliance created. Our team will take dental impressions so your appliance will fit comfortably and work as intended. The following appointment will take place when your appliance is done, and we’ll ask you to try it on to ensure that it fits well. Then you are free to take it home and use it nightly. It’s as simple as that!
Nasal strips help to keep the nasal airways open, but sleep apnea is caused by the muscles in the back of the throat becoming too relaxed and obstructing the airflow in the back of the mouth and throat. This is why dental appliances work well for sleep apnea, because they hold the jaw in a comfortable position that still allows breathing to continue uninterrupted even when the throat muscles relax.
Your specific symptoms may not be motivating you to seek treatment, but we still recommend getting an official diagnosis and exploring your treatment options for sleep apnea. In addition to abnormal fatigue, sleep apnea is also linked to an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes. It’s not pleasant to think about, but in some cases, sleep apnea can actually be fatal. If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, please get in touch with our office and we will be more than happy to assist you.
