Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially life-threatening condition that is more serious than just snoring. If you have OSA, it can seriously disrupt your life and cause fatal health problems. Apnea occurs when you stop breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when something obstructs your airway while you sleep, causing a cessation of breath. OSA can occur when the muscles of the throat, including the tongue, relax too much during sleep and collapse into the airway. If you believe you have OSA, come to our office right away for diagnosis and treatment.
DIAGNOSIS OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
OSA is dangerous because many people don’t realize they have it until it’s already too late. OSA may cause sleepers to wake and gasp for air, but the interruptions are so minimal that many people don’t remember them occurring. It may take someone else sleeping in the room to notice noisy disruptions in breathing, or a comprehensive sleep study. Contemporary Family Dentistry has the means to put patients through a study with help from local experts. We can properly diagnose obstructive sleep apnea using special sensors while you sleep and other methods.
If you have OSA, you aren’t alone. About 18 million Americans have this life-threatening disorder. About 40 percent of people who snore have OSA without any signs or symptoms of this serious problem. More than 90 percent of snorers exhibit at least some apneic tendencies. If you suspect OSA for any reason, please come to our office for a sleep study. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent major health complications and even death due to serious obstructions of the airways at night.
Leaving OSA untreated can result in long-term ramifications such as increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation. Hypertension is present in about 50 percent of people with OSA. You may also experience chronic headaches or migraines, memory loss, cognitive impairments, decreased sex drive, and other symptoms that stem from lack of proper sleep. Sleep apnea can increase the risk of drowsy driving and related car accidents, as well as the risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Drowsy driving is a factor in an estimated 100,000 accidents per year.
REMEDIES OF OSA
Dr. Henderson is always looking for new ways to solve the issue of obstructive sleep apnea and its related health problems. At Contemporary Family Dentistry, we have to the tools and connections with other practices to conduct complete medical assessments and develop effective treatment plans for this serious condition. The process is simple for patients, with them simply sleeping while wearing special devices. The devices will record sleep patterns and breathing problems for specialists to assess for an accurate diagnosis.
If you do have OSA, our team can help you clear your airways for a healthy full night’s sleep. The first step toward a solution may be in changing your eating, drinking, and exercise habits. Excessive weight contributes to sleep apnea. Changes in your habits, such as a healthier diet and limited alcohol and nicotine intake, can help prevent sleep apnea, as can stress management and restricting the use of sleeping pills. Sometimes, a dental condition such as a retruded jaw may cause OSA, in which case an appropriate surgical procedure may help.
Detecting and solving OSA before it causes major health problems is possible with help from Contemporary Family Dentistry. We may recommend conservative treatment, such as wearing a CPAP machine while you sleep, or a sleep appliance that resembles a mouth guard to reposition the jaw and tongue to keep the airways open. These appliances are easy to wear and typically do not disrupt sleep. They are a cost-effective and non-invasive way to potentially solve OSA. Many different FDA-approved appliances are available. Our team makes an appliance called Somnomed that may be right for you. We can help you find the ideal solution for OSA with a proper exam and treatment plan.