Sleep Apnea Treatment for Better Rest
Sleep apnea is a disruptive sleep condition that can leave you exhausted and lead to long-term health problems—and many people don’t even realize that they’re experiencing it! You could be living with this serious condition without knowing it. It’s vital to learn the warning signs so you can get effective treatment.
This condition occurs when someone’s breathing starts and stops while they’re asleep. As you can imagine, it’s hard to rest easy when your breathing is so irregular. Sleep apnea has also been connected to high blood pressure as well as an increased risk of strokes, heart attacks, and more.
It’s important to start battling sleep apnea as soon as possible, and the first step is diagnosing it. At Smart Dental Care, we treat sleep apnea to ensure you get a restful night’s sleep. Learn more about this condition and call today to set up an appointment in Holladay, UT.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
While sleep apnea is something we can treat at Smart Dental Care, it’s not a dental condition. Instead, it’s a sometimes serious sleep disorder where your breathing starts and stops multiple times throughout the night.
There are two main types of sleep apnea, but the most common is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This type occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep, blocking airflow into the lungs. As the muscles relax, your airway will narrow and close, making it so you can’t get enough air. This also lowers the oxygen levels in the blood.
When your brain senses that you aren’t breathing correctly, it wakes you up briefly, but this happens so quickly that you don’t remember it. With OSA, this process repeats throughout the night, up to 30 times each hour, making it extremely difficult to reach deeper phases of sleep.
Are There Other Kinds of Sleep Apnea?
While obstructive sleep apnea is by far the most common type, central sleep apnea is the other kind, and it impacts some patients. With central sleep apnea, your brain doesn’t send signals to your breathing muscles while you sleep. This means your body won’t breathe for short periods while sleeping.
With central sleep apnea, you’ll also wake up with shortness of breath and may have issues sleeping through the night. Because central sleep apnea is caused by the brain, oral appliances don’t treat this type. Instead, you should consult with a medical doctor about options such as a CPAP machine.
BENEFITS OF TREATING SLEEP APNEA
There are many advantages to treating your sleep apnea. If you get treatment, you’ll be able to get more rest and enjoy your life more. Having more energy in and of itself is a huge benefit, but that’s not the only pro of treating your sleep apnea.
Some of the specific benefits of receiving sleep apnea treatment at Smart Dental Care include:
- More Restful Sleep: One of the biggest and most obvious advantages of sleep apnea treatment is that you’ll get better sleep. Without so many interruptions to your quality of sleep, you’ll wake up feeling much more rested, which can positively impact your life.
- Reduced Risk of Stroke and Heart Issues: Some studies have shown that sleep disturbances can increase the risk of hypertension and stroke. With better sleep, you can have a healthier lifestyle overall.
- Improved Diabetes Management: If you have type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea could have a link to higher blood sugars. If you aren’t diabetic, sleep apnea could increase your risk of developing insulin resistance.
- Reduced Risk of Depression: Sleep has a big impact on your mental and emotional health. If you’re not getting enough rest, it can make you feel more depressed and anxious. Treating sleep apnea can help with your mental health.
- More Energy for Your Life: Generally speaking, treating sleep apnea can give you more energy to live and enjoy your life. With increased energy, you can perform better at home, work, and more.
- Improved Sleep for Spouses and PartnersIf you share a room with someone, your sleep apnea can also impact their sleep. They may find it hard to rest fully if they can hear your snoring. Treating your sleep apnea can also improve your quality of life and reduce tension around the issue.
With so many great reasons to treat sleep apnea, there’s no reason not to make an appointment at Smart Dental Care. Give us a call today to set up an appointment at a time that works for you!
How do I Know if I Have Sleep Apnea?
The best way to answer this question is to set up an appointment at Smart Dental Care, but overall, sleep apnea does have common signs and symptoms to look out for. Understanding these signs and symptoms helps your awareness. If you experience more than one of the following, you may be experiencing sleep apnea:
- Waking up tired, even after a full night’s sleep
- Loud snoring
- Waking up abruptly in the night, especially when accompanied by gasping or coughing
- A regular sore throat or dry mouth, particularly after waking up
- Difficulty staying awake and focused even after sleeping for several hours
Any of these symptoms can be disruptive on their own, so even if you aren’t experiencing the full list of symptoms, it’s a good idea to talk to your dentist. With even one of these symptoms, you may wake up feeling unrested or stressed. If you are waking up gasping, it could mean you’re at risk of serious complications from sleep apnea.
Luckily, relief might be easier than you expect! Set up an appointment at our Holladay office, and we can begin the process of diagnosing and treating your sleep apnea.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Even if you have the symptoms of sleep apnea, it’s still crucial to visit our office for a diagnosis. We provide a take-home device that you can wear while you sleep. This device sends information about your breathing to your phone or handheld device. With this data, we can determine if your breathing stops throughout the night.
From there, we can create a treatment plan for your sleep apnea to relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
IS SLEEP APNEA DANGEROUS?
IS SLEEP APNEA DANGEROUS?
Sleep apnea can be dangerous, particularly in the long term. When it comes to severe obstructive sleep apnea, there is an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. Also, while rare, it’s possible to choke when you stop breathing and not be able to regain your breath.
So, in rare cases, sleep apnea can cause fatalities. It’s possible for your breathing not to restart, and this risk is slightly higher if you’re older than 60.
Let’s review some of the possible complications of sleep apnea:
Fatigue
While feeling tired might not seem like a big deal, chronic fatigue can impact many areas of your life and health. With obstructive sleep apnea, it’s nearly impossible to have a good night’s rest, leading to drowsiness and irritability.
With constant tiredness, you may have issues focusing at work, school, or home. Sleep apnea can even cause drowsiness while driving, leading to an increased risk of car and workplace accidents.
Without good rest, you may also have mood and emotional concerns, such as depression or irritability, which can impact your relationship with yourself and others.
Heart Issues & High Blood Pressure
The frequent and sudden drops in blood oxygen levels place strain on your cardiovascular system. This process also increases your blood pressure, which can lead to hypertension.
Other heart and blood pressure-related risks of obstructive sleep apnea include stroke, irregular heartbeat, and heart attack.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can be both a cause and effect of obstructive sleep apnea. If you have type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to develop sleep apnea. If you do not have type 2 diabetes but do have sleep apnea, your risk of developing insulin resistance is higher.
Issues with Medication & Surgeries
Obstructive sleep apnea puts you at a higher risk of complications from general anesthesia. It can also contribute to breathing problems after surgery or complications with sedatives.
Liver Concerns
If you have sleep apnea, you’re more likely than the average person to have abnormal liver function. People with sleep apnea often have issues like fatty liver disease or scarring.
Because sleep apnea can have long-term impacts on your health and wellness, seeking treatment is crucial.
SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT OPTIONS
When you think of treating sleep apnea, you may imagine a CPAP machine or a continuous positive airway pressure. This treatment can be a great option for many people, but it’s not the only choice.
CPAP machines can be clunky to use and difficult to adjust to, but there is an excellent alternative that we provide at Smart Dental Care: custom snore guards that can restore your sleep without the troubles of a CPAP machine.
SNORE GUARDS FOR SLEEP APNEA
In general, the best way to treat sleep apnea is to support an individual’s airway to make breathing easier. At our office, we offer snore guards, which do exactly that!
With a snore guard, your airway will be unobstructed while you sleep, which can drastically reduce instances of breathing difficulties throughout the night. Not only will you get more sleep and feel better, but if you share a space with others, they will also appreciate it.
While CPAP machines are a good option for some people, snore guards are often more comfortable and less cumbersome to deal with. These snore guards are custom-made for you, so you can get a better night’s sleep and reduce the negative health outcomes of sleep apnea.
If you believe you or a loved one might be suffering from sleep apnea, contact us today! We can help you get a restful night’s sleep again.
Contact Our Office to Transform Your Sleep!
Tired of waking up gasping for air? Frustrated that you wake up each morning feeling exhausted no matter how much sleep you get? If so, sleep apnea might be the cause of your problems. When you visit Smart Dental Care, we ensure you are comfortable and listened to while providing modern, cutting-edge technology to give you efficient dental care.
At Smart Dental Care, we offer treatment for sleep apnea so you can get enough rest and avoid negative health impacts. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our Holladay office!