What is Sleep Disordered Breathing & Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Sleep-disordered breathing encompasses a wide range of conditions characterized by abnormalities in the respiratory system or poor ventilation during sleep.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep-related breathing disorder.
Your airway is blocked during sleep, which limits the amount of oxygen entering your lungs. Your breathing is interrupted, causing you to snort and gasp loudly for air. This can occur several times and deprive your brain and body of needed oxygen and quality sleep. And you may not even be aware of it.
Apnea means temporary breathing pauses. It can make you feel exhausted in the morning even after supposedly getting a full night’s sleep. The lack of oxygen can cause serious health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Many people with sleep apnea don't get properly diagnosed or treated. Somehow, they've become accustomed to interrupted sleep and don’t realize there’s an issue.
See your dentist if you or your family believe you’re experiencing sleep apnea symptoms so you can be screened.
Your dentist can educate you on the benefits of restorative REM sleep and the risks if sleep-related breathing disorders aren't treated.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Here are some of the common symptoms of sleep apnea:
- Loud snoring
- Choking sounds during sleep
- Daytime sleepiness
- Insomnia
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
Sleep Apnea Risk Factors
- Obesity
- Excessive neck tissue or enlarged tonsils that block airways.
- Gender – more common in men.
- Genetics
Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea
We can perform a screening to assess your symptoms and risks for sleep apnea.
We conduct a visual examination and a thorough review of your health history. We also ask you to fill out a questionnaire to know more about your habits, lifestyle, and related experiences.
Based on our findings, we may recommend getting further examinations or refer you to a sleep specialist.
We can also send you home with a portable sleep monitor as an additional diagnostic tool. We discuss the results of these tests with you, along with possible treatment options.
Why You Need to Get Treated for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder. It disrupts your sleep, affects your health, and impacts every area of your life, including relationships.
Depending on your diagnosis, your dentist can work with specialists to use one or a combination of treatments.
Get screened today to protect your and your loved ones’ health.