Sleep Apnea

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which you repeatedly stop and start to breathe. It is a potentially serious disorder and shouldn’t be ignored.

If left untreated, sleep apnea causes daytime tiredness, heart trouble, and even high blood pressure along with loud snoring. If you wake up in the morning and feel tired even though you’ve slept for 8 hours, you might have this disorder.

What Are The Types Of Sleep Apnea?

There are three types of sleep apnea –

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This is the most common type of disorder. It occurs when your airways are repeatedly partially or completely blocked while you are sleeping. The blockage happens because of the collapse of the soft tissue at the back of your throat.

When the soft tissue collapses, the diaphragm and chest muscles have to work harder than usual to open up the airways. A person suffering from obstructive sleep apnea will start to breathe by jerking their body or with loud gasps.

This entire episode affects not only your sleep but also lowers the oxygen flow to the vital organs. This, in turn, can cause an abnormal heart rhythm.

Central Sleep Apnea

Your airway doesn’t get blocked if you have this type. Instead, your brain fails to communicate with your respiratory muscles due to issues in the respiratory control center. Which is why you fail to breathe.

CSA usually happens in people –

Complex Sleep Apnea

Doctors call this type “treatment-emergent” central sleep apnea. This happens if you have both obstructive and central sleep apneas.

What Are The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea

People with apnea sleeping disorder don’t notice the first symptoms themselves. Your partner usually notices them and will tell you. The most common symptoms and signs include –

What Aggravates Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea

While this condition can affect anyone, you are at a higher risk of having sleep apnea if your condition is–

What Are Permanent Treatments For Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea

Conservative Treatments

Doctors go down the conservative route if the patient suffers from mild forms of apnea.

Mechanical Therapy

For patients with moderate to more severe forms of the disorder, mechanical therapies are involved. Positive Airway Pressure – or PAP therapy – is the preferred mode of treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnea.

PAP therapy involves the use of an air blower in which the pressure is adjusted so it prevents the airways from collapsing during sleep. There are several types of PAP devices –

Mandibular Advancement Device

For patients with mild to moderate forms of obstructive problem. These are dental appliances that prevent the tongue from blocking the throat. These can also advance the mandible (lower jaw) forward, keeping the airway open during sleep.

Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator

A hypoglossal nerve stimulator is a device that is implanted underneath the skin. This is turned on with a remote control when the patient is about to go to sleep. The device stimulates the hypoglossal nerve with each breath, moving the tongue out of the airway to keep it open.

Surgery

Surgical procedures are performed if all of the other treatments fail. Surgical intervention includes –

Does The Dentist Near Me Help With this problem?

Sleep apnea

Osseo Family Dental is glad to announce that we do offer oral appliances that help with obstructive problem. So, if you or your partner have noticed the signs and symptoms, head down to our dental office to assess and diagnose your condition.

For patients with mild to moderate obstructive problem, Osseo Dental custom makes oral devices. These help keep your airway open by preventing your tongue from closing the throat. Besides, the oral sleep device also helps in breathing by moving the mandible forward.

Dr Marquis will be more than happy to assist you in your sleep apnea journey.

To understand more about how an oral appliance will help you sleep better, give Osseo Family Dental a call. Dial (763) 425-2626 to schedule an appointment.