Sleep apnea is a medical condition that is typically overlooked. Most people tend to miss the symptoms, and this is what makes the condition dangerous. You might be shocked to find out that sleep apnea is quite a common condition in America. Research shows that nearly 50 million people suffer from sleep apnea in America. There is a high probability that the number is higher than that since most people do not even know if they have the condition.
Sleep apnea can easily slip under the radar, and you might mistake it for another disease or condition. If the condition is left untreated, it can have adverse health consequences.
However, we have a dentist who treats sleep apnea near you. But before we look at sleep apnea treatment, let’s get to know more about the condition.
In a nutshell, sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder caused by an interruption of your breathing while you are asleep. You might stop breathing so often, even close to a hundred times during your sleep, and you might not notice. This means that your brain and body are oxygen-deprived.
What is even frightening is that you might not notice that you have stopped breathing. Then when your airway opens us, you might snort, take a deep breath, or wake up with a sensation of gasping, choking, or smothering.
Sleep apnea falls into two categories:
Generally, sleep apnea can affect anyone, even children. However, some of the risk factors associated with sleep apnea are:
As mentioned earlier, you might not be aware of sleep apnea symptoms. However, someone else can be better placed since they can notice that you have stopped breathing.
Some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea that you should look out for are:
Peel your eyes for sleep apnea, especially if you know that you fall in the high-risk category. If this condition is left untreated, it can cause other severe health conditions such as heart failure, depression, headaches, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
The level and cause of sleep apnea determine the method of treatment. The whole purpose of treatment is to normalize your breathing.
Obstructive sleep
If your sleep apnea is mild, then our dentist in Sorrento Valley may recommend the following lifestyle changes:
If the above options do not work or you have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, then the following therapies are employed:
Once our dentist gets the right appliance for you, you will need to visit our dentist often during the first year. These appliances are also covered in your insurance, so do not worry about the cost.
As already mentioned, sleep apnea can lead to severe life-threatening conditions. Since it’s treatable, you can schedule an appointment with our dentist at Scripps Poway Dental Care if you suspect that you have sleep apnea symptoms. We would love to help you out.