Sleep Apnea: The Cause and the Solution
For those who suffer from sleep apnea, getting treatment options is critical for long-term health and day-to-day wellbeing. At Distinctive Dental Solutions, our oral appliance therapy is one proven treatment option for sleep apnea. To learn more about sleep apnea and other treatment options that may exist, call our team directly.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder. A person who has sleep apnea starts and stops breathing multiple times throughout the night. Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, feeling tired after a full night’s sleep, difficulty staying asleep, and gasping for air during sleep. Sleep apnea can cause irritability and a feeling of fatigue, but can also lead to long-term health problems. There are three primary types of sleep apnea:
- Central sleep apnea
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome
Causes of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common type of sleep apnea, happens when the muscles in the back of the throat relax, resulting in the airway narrowing or closing completely and limiting air supply. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, happens when the brain fails to transmit the proper breathing signals to muscles. Risk factors and potential causes of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Being overweight
- Having a large neck circumference
- Having a narrow airway
- Family history of sleep apnea
- Using alcohol or sedatives
- Smoking
- Having certain medical conditions
- Being male and being older
Sleep Apnea Treatment
If you are suffering from sleep apnea, it’s important to work with your medical doctor to discuss your treatment options. Some options for treating sleep apnea might include:
- Lifestyle and home remedies, including losing weight, exercising, avoiding alcohol before bed, avoiding sleeping pills and certain medications, stopping smoking, and changing sleeping position.
- Therapies, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, the use of an oral appliance, treatment for associated medical conditions, and the use of supplemental oxygen.
- Surgery – surgery is usually a last-resort option when other treatments fail.
Sometimes, one of the treatment options above will do the trick; other times, a patient may need to implement a variety of treatment options to get results.
Call Distinctive Dental Solutions to Learn More
At Distinctive Dental Solutions, we offer oral appliance therapy treatment that works. We can design an oral appliance for you based on your needs and in collaboration with your doctor. To learn more about oral appliance therapy as a treatment for sleep apnea, reach out to us today by phone or online. Our dentists want you to breathe easier.
