Managing Sleep Apnea

Not being able to sleep through the night is detrimental to your health and sleep patterns. Signs of not sleeping begin with snoring and waking yourself through the night from lack of breathing. If these sound like what you deal with on a regular basis, these may be signs you are suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that disturbs your sleep and usually because of breathing issues. The lack of breathing typically begins heavy snoring, which is not ideal night after night. If you find yourself feeling tired even after sleeping fully through the night, seek dental treatment for sleep apnea.

When you go to the dentist, you may be put through a sleep test. During this sleep test, you will be attached to monitors that will track your breathing, and lack thereof. This will allow your doctor effectively manage your sleep apnea, if that is the disorder you are facing.

There are different types of sleep apnea, but these are the main three:
• Obstructive sleep apnea: this is one of the more common forms of sleep apnea. This is when your throat muscles relax.
• Central sleep apnea: this type of sleep apnea occurs when your brain is not sending proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.
• Complex sleep apnea syndrome: this is also called treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a very serious disorder. If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, seek treatment. There is a multitude of ways your doctor can treat your sleep apnea, depending on the severity. From mouth appliances to breathing machines, there is a fix for it all. If not taken care of, sleep apnea has the chance to cause other health issues. Contact your dentist if these are symptoms you are experiencing, chronically. Your dentist and their team will be able to guide you through steps to achieve a full night’s sleep and better breathing ability.