Do you often wake up, after a seemingly full night’s sleep, feeling utterly unrested? If so, you may suffer from sleep apnea. This disorder is typically marked by loud snoring that is immediately followed by silence. It is admittedly difficult to be aware of your own snoring if you do not have a partner in the same room. However, if you regularly have a difficult time staying awake and alert throughout the day and aren’t sure why, it is worth it to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. In today’s article, your Greenville, TX, dentist will discuss the causes of sleep apnea and how you can treat it.
What Exactly Is It?
Sleep apnea, or OSA, is typically caused by a blockage in your airways while you sleep. In the case of OSA, the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much and you briefly stop breathing. This causes your brain to snap awake and for you to gasp for breath, which interrupts your sleep. While you likely won’t know you’re waking up, you still are. Notably, this cycle of falling asleep and briefly waking up can happen dozens of times each night. Unsurprisingly, this wreaks havoc on your sleep, causing excessive tiredness. A severe lack of sleep can cause a plethora of health issues including headaches, persistent distraction, bruxism (or teeth grinding), and even increased blood pressure. Overall, sleep apnea poses serious risks, and it shouldn’t be written off as merely excessive snoring.
How Can You Find Relief?
A common solution to OSA is using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. This device gently provides a constant stream of air through a small mask into your airways, preventing them from relaxing too much and closing. While this method certainly helps, you might find the machine loud, cumbersome, and a pain to carry around, especially if you travel frequently. As an alternative to a CPAP Machine, your dentist can create a custom-designed sleep guard. It is much less uncomfortable and takes up very little space. It fits in your mouth like a mouth guard you’d see in sports, and it seamlessly keeps your lower jaw positioned forward to keep your airway open. Soon, you’ll be waking up well-rested and feeling capable of taking each day to your fullest capacity. During your next routine check-up, make sure you ask your dentist about these solutions
Do You Have More Questions About Sleep Apnea?
If you are always tired and disturbing your loved ones with your obsessive snoring, you could very well suffer from OSA. Schedule a consultation today by calling Smith Family Dentistry in Greenville, TX, at (617) 562-5210. You can also find our practice at Medical Arts Plaza 4818 Wellington Street, Suite 3 Greenville, TX 75402.