Sleep Apnea Getting treatment for sleep apnea can improve the quality of life and prevent potential damage to your teeth. Maybe you have recently started feeling drained or tired in the daytime. It could be also that you have mood swings and your energy levels are quite low. When these things are happening to you, it could be a case of sleep apnea. It is good that you visit us at Jerome Riddle DDS to talk about sleep apnea because it is a possible culprit to these issues. By getting a non-invasive treatment, you may bring your body back to form and avoid dental problems that come with the condition. What is Sleep Apnea?This condition known as sleep apnea presents numerous symptoms. People who have sleep apnea are unable to get sufficient oxygen to promote the proper functioning of their bodies. If you lack adequate oxygen, you are drained of your energy and feel sluggish. You feel like you are not yourself anymore. Sleep apnea mostly occurs at night and many patients do not know they really have it. Not treated, the condition can affect your health seriously. Sleep apnea can make you be in danger of having high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, stroke, headaches, mood swings, and ADHD. What Types of Sleep Apnea Exist?Basically, there are three forms of the condition and the common one is obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. This happens when the bottom jawbone muscles are so weak that they cannot hold the jaw in the right position while sleeping. Due to this weakness of the muscles, the jaw falls backward thereby making the tongue fall backward and block the airway. The blockage of the airway makes it difficult to breathe clearly while sleeping. You are likely to snore if you have sleep apnea. You feel like there is something choking you in your sleep. Also, a lot of fatty tissue in the area at the back of the throat can lead to obstructive sleep apnea. And this is the reason why people who are overweight are said to be at risk of having OSA. Central sleep apnea is another form of the condition and presents when the chemicals in the brain fail to communicate to the muscles that control breathing. The third type is known as complex sleep apnea and is a combination of OSA and central sleep apnea. Treatment for Sleep ApneaOur dental specialists recommend that you initially seek non-invasive treatment options for sleep apnea. You can get a customized removable oral appliance to wear during sleep. This appliance prevents the tongue from falling backward. It keeps your lower jaw in a forward position. What you need to do is just put the appliance in your mouth when going to sleep and let it remain there throughout the night as it does its job. Sometimes, we may recommend that you use the oral appliance in conjunction with a CPAP machine. To get help for your sleep apnea condition, visit us at Jerome Riddle DDS for testing and evaluation. Call us at 480-991-4410 to set up an appointment. |
