Being told you have sleep apnea can be a lot to take in. There’s a lot to learn and decide, and worrying about how it will affect your health, happiness, and how long you live is normal. Let’s talk about this together on this blog.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a problem in which you stop breathing many times while you sleep, making it hard to sleep well. The muscles in your throat relax and block your airway, so you can’t get enough air. After you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more, your body wakes you up with a snore or gasp so you can start breathing again.
If you’re still tired after sleeping for 8 hours, you might have sleep apnea. Even if you don’t snore or gasp but feel sleepy during the day, you should see a doctor to check for sleep apnea before it gets worse.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
Snoring is a quite common symptom of sleep apnea, a condition that can lead to serious health problems. People who snore may have sleep apnea, which means they don’t get enough oxygen and wake up gasping for air.
People with sleep apnea may also have a dry mouth, snore, have trouble concentrating, feel depressed, gain weight, and get headaches or migraines. If you have these problems, you should see your dentist for help with sleep apnea. Your dentist can help you get tested for sleep apnea and find ways to sleep better.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Getting diagnosed with sleep apnea is easy. There are two ways to do it:
- A sleep study at a clinic.
- A sleep test at home.
A sleep study at a clinic means you have to spend the night there. A home sleep test is more convenient because you can do it in your own bed. Home sleep tests are just as accurate as clinic sleep studies.
What Transpires if Sleep Apnea is Left Untreated?
People with sleep apnea may also have other health problems that can be dangerous, such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, heart problems from birth, and type 2 diabetes.
A study followed people with sleep apnea for 18 years. They found that people with sleep apnea were 20% more likely to die from heart disease or stroke than people without sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea itself doesn’t shorten your life. But it can increase your risk of getting serious health problems that can shorten your life.
What is the Most Effective Treatment for Sleep Apnea?
There are many ways to treat sleep apnea. The best treatment for you depends on how bad your sleep apnea is and what’s causing it.
Lifestyle Changes
If your sleep apnea is mild, you can try making some changes to your lifestyle, like losing weight, not drinking alcohol, and sleeping on your side.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
CPAP is one of the most common and effective treatments for moderate to severe sleep apnea. With CPAP, you wear a mask over your nose and mouth while you sleep. The mask blows air into your nose and mouth to keep your airway open.
Oral Appliances
You can also try a dental device. This device can help keep your jaw and tongue in a position that keeps your airway open.
Surgery
In some cases, surgery may be an option. Surgery can help remove extra tissue from your throat or correct problems with its structure.
Positional Therapy
If your sleep apnea mostly happens when you’re sleeping on your back, you can use a special device to help you sleep on your side.
How Do Dentists Treat Sleep Apnea?
There are different ways to treat sleep apnea. The most common treatment is a CPAP machine, which you wear while you sleep to help you breathe. CPAP machines can be bulky and uncomfortable for some people.
For mild sleep apnea, dentists offer oral appliances. These appliances are like mouth guards and help keep your airway open.
Dentists also recommend making lifestyle changes to help with sleep apnea. These changes include losing weight, quitting smoking, exercising, and sleeping on your side.
All in All
Sleep apnea itself doesn’t shorten your life, but how bad it is, what other symptoms you have, and whether you get treatment can affect how long you live.
Don’t let sleep apnea compromise your quality of life. Take control of your sleep by scheduling an appointment with the experts at Divine Dental Studio of Ceres today. We can help you get better sleep and feel better overall. Call (209) 207-7777 to make an appointment.