Obstructive sleep apnea can cause you to stop breathing at night and lead to a host of complications with your overall health. Our team can provide an at-home diagnosis and treatment options to help you sleep with ease again. In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist talks about how we diagnose and treat sleep apnea.
The Causes of Sleep Apnea
The disorder is a common one, and when it occurs this means that the soft tissues in the back of your mouth and in your throat become too relaxed. They collapse and cut off airflow, so you stop breathing for a few seconds until the brain registers the drop in oxygen and wakes you. While you may not remember this happening, it can interrupt your REM sleep hundreds of times in a single night, so even though you assume you rested, you feel exhausted the next day. This could cause a host of uncomfortable symptoms and even impact your long-term health!
The Common Warning Signs
People with sleep apnea may report chronic snoring, which can also impact how your significant other rests. Other warning signs could include waking up multiple times in the night gasping for breath or choking. You may also feel exhausted, irritable, and have trouble focusing on tasks at work or school. Issues with memory could also occur. Don’t let this disorder harm your overall quality of life. Contact our team today to learn more about possible solutions! Otherwise, sleep apnea could lead to serious trouble.
Long-Term Impacts
Initially, this disorder makes you feel exhausted and irritable, and impacts your ability to function in your daily life. But over time, the stress on your immune system could leave you vulnerable to more frequent illness. You may also be more likely to experience strain on your cardiovascular system, with a higher likelihood of high blood pressure, heart disease, and even stroke or heart attack. But with treatment, we can help you avoid these serious complications and enjoy a better quality of life and a good night’s rest!
An At-Home Sleep Test
At one time, undergoing a sleep test to diagnose the presence of sleep apnea meant you needed to attempt to sleep in a lab setting, where experts could monitor you. But for more accurate results, and a more comfortable experience for you, our team could recommend a home sleep test. In the office, we can use the Rhino-meter and Pharyngo-meter to assess airway obstruction and breathing capabilities. At home, we will provide a unique device that is simple to use, and which monitors you as you rest, recording episodes of breathing cessation, as well as your blood pressure and heart rate. We use the test to determine if you need treatment, and to aid in the creation of your custom oral appliance, a CPAP alternative we offer our patients undergoing care!
Our CPAP Alternative
While the CPAP device is effective, this is also difficult for many patients to use, and often people simply stop using it. Instead of the CPAP device, our team will create an oral appliance. The device is custom-made and fitted for your smile, fitting like a mouthguard and being worn as you rest. The device is comfortable, easy to clean, and can travel with you too. When worn, the device shifts the jaw and tongue forward to keep airways open and free of obstruction. You then breathe without complication and enjoy a night without interruption, so you can rest easy and feel more rested and alert the next day.
Better Sleep Habits
Better sleep habits can also help! You should rest on your side instead of your back, keep your bedroom dark and cool, and avoid screens for an hour before going to bed. Try to avoid large meals, caffeinated products, or excessive amounts of alcohol right before bed too. If you can, maintain a regular sleep schedule, which means going to bed and waking up at the same times each day. If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like sleep apnea, or if any of these symptoms we discuss apply to you, then contact our team right away. We want to help you enjoy a good night’s sleep, and avoid possible impacts on your overall health and wellness.
Enjoy Better Rest With Celina Family Dentistry!
Our team wants to help you enjoy a better night’s rest with our CPAP alternative. To learn more about treating a sleep disorder, talk to a member of our team today at Celina Family Dentistry at (214) 851-0130 today!
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