While you sleep, your body is busy restoring, repairing, and cleaning itself. It is essential to your overall health! Unfortunately, 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, a condition where someone experiences brief but frequent lapses in breathing throughout the night. This negatively impacts sleep quality and can lead to all sorts of issues that affect your general health. As a matter of fact, it can even impact how long you live. Read on to learn more about the connection between sleep apnea and life expectancy as well as how your dentist can help so you can live life to the fullest!
What are the Signs of Sleep Apnea?
While snoring is the most known sign of sleep apnea, it’s not the only symptom. You can also suffer from:
- Daytime fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Waking up choking or gasping for air
- Memory loss
- Mood changes or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
If you suspect your struggle with your breathing while you sleep, visit your doctor to undergo testing to confirm the diagnosis. You’ll likely be monitored while you sleep to detect any abnormalities.
Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea
As stated above, allowing your sleep issue to go untreated can impact not only the quality of your life but your life expectancy. If you suffer from sleep apnea, the soft tissues in the back of the mouth can create a blockage in the upper airway while you sleep. This causes constant disruptions in breathing throughout the night, resulting in your body being deprived of oxygen repeatedly. The long-term stress on your body can cause your life expectancy to shorten due to these major health issues:
- Sleep deprivation
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Liver complications
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, there is no need to worry! The good news is that it can be treated so your health and quality of sleep can be restored. A CPAP machine is the most traditional method of treatment. By delivering a steady stream of air pressure through a mask placed over the mouth or nose, your breathing will be steady throughout the night. However, while it is effective, it can be bothersome for some patients.
Instead of wearing a noisy air pump to bed, your dentist can provide a specialized mouthpiece that adjusts the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open throughout the night. This is called oral appliance therapy. There are a few different oral appliances offered, based on a patient’s particular needs. Many dentists will even work with your sleep specialist to provide the ideal treatment for you.
Don’t spend another night of restless sleep! By visiting a sleep specialist and your dentist, you can find the right solution so you can have peaceful slumber for many years to come.
About the Author
Dr. Thomas Gromling is eager to help you keep your oral health, and thus your overall well-being, in top condition. With over 40 years of experience, he provides a wide range of dental services, including oral appliance therapy. By offering more than one kind of mouthpiece and working with your sleep specialist, your sleep apnea can be successfully treated. To schedule an appointment, contact him through his website or call (540) 869-4377.