Getting Everyone A Good Nights Rest
Sleep impacts every area of your life, from how you look and feel to your health. Inadequate amounts of sleep can cause sleepiness and be harmful to your health. One of the most common sleep problems is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and is commonly undiagnosed in children and adults. Around 25 million adults in the U.S suffer from OSA, which can cause them to stop breathing hundreds of times a night for anywhere from a few seconds to minutes. This chronic condition occurs when your airway is blocked which can cause pauses in breathing and lower the amount of oxygen in your blood. The breathing pauses can cause brief awakenings to disturb your sleep.
Why does it matter if I have sleep apnea? I don't want to wear a CPAP!
Diagnosing and treating sleep apnea is extremely important to your health. Untreated, sleep apnea can have serious effects on your overall health. These include increased risk of the following:
High Blood Pressure
Stroke (Three times greater risk of stroke)
Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes
Acid Reflux
Erectile Dysfunction
Driving accidents (800,000 accidents related to sleep apnea a year)
Weight Gain
Headaches
Memory Loss
Bruxism
Lower quality of life
What increases my risk of getting OSA?
The following increase your risk of having OSA:
Your overweight
Neck circumference (>17cm for males; >15cm for females
Narrow airway
Males
Over 40 years old
Nasal Congestion
Smoker
Alcohol/Sedative use
How can OSA be treated?
Treatment of OSA can be as simple as losing weight and changing the position you sleep in to using an appliance at night time or even surgery in rare circumstances. A CPAP is the most common appliance and when it is tolerated by a patient can have the greatest success. Many times a CPAP can not be tolerated and an oral appliance can be made by your dentist. Oral appliances are best used when treating mild-moderate sleep apnea and can be easier to use at night time. If you have any questions about an oral appliance please let us know at your next visit. If you think you or someone close to you in your life may suffer from sleep apnea we encourage you to tell your physician and consider having a sleep study done. 