Sleep Apnea Treatment
Effective Sleep Apnea Treatment in Shelby, OH
Know the risks of sleep apnea. If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, you can seek treatment now.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Discovery Dental treats obstructive sleep apnea in Shelby, OH. Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which a person stops breathing normally in their sleep. A significant risk factor for developing sleep apnea is weight. Being overweight puts stress on the tissue around the mouth and throat, which then causes the airway to close in your sleep, causing breathing to stop temporarily.
Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep apnea stresses your body by depriving it of oxygen in short bursts until you wake up sufficiently to start breathing normally again. Awakening suddenly each time you stop breathing puts stress on your body and disrupts your sleep. The combined effects of this stress, night after night, decrease your quality of life and can ultimately shorten your lifespan. The Mayo Clinic lists the long term effects of sleep apnea include:
- a higher risk of heart problems
- a higher risk of diabetes
- problems during surgical procedures
- stress to your internal organs, such as your liver
In addition to the medical risks of obstructive sleep apnea. Chronic fatigue can lead to changes in mood, inattentiveness, poor performance at work, reckless driving, and many other problems in everyday life.
Do I Need Sleep Apnea Treatment in Shelby, OH?
It is not always clear whether a patient has sleep apnea without directly observing their breathing while they sleep. However, indirect lines of evidence support a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.
- chronic fatigue
- reports of snoring or gasping from family members
- headaches
- dry mouth after waking up
Treating Sleep Apnea
There are many non-surgical types of sleep apnea treatment in Shelby, OH.
If sleep apnea is due to excess weight, a priority is to bring your weight down so that the soft tissues in your mouth and throat do not weigh down your airway.
If you are drinking alcohol or taking narcotic painkillers, sleeping pills, or sedatives, limit your intake as much as possible. Any medication or recreational drug that depresses the respiratory system will worsen sleep apnea.
Suppose lifestyle changes do not eliminate obstructive sleep apnea. In that case, devices that generate positive airway pressure can manage sleep apnea symptoms by forcing air into the lungs and overcoming the obstruction. Typically, these machines include a mask on your face to apply positive pressure.
One convenient and straightforward non-surgical treatment for sleep apnea is oral appliance therapy (OAT). The appliance pushes your jaw into a forward position, further away from the airway. As a result, the jaw can move some soft tissues along with it, making it less likely to obstruct the airway.
Another standard device is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP device), which works throughout the night. Newer positive airway machines, such as variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) devices and automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) devices. These devices are adaptive, changing the pressure in response to your sleep patterns and signs of sleep apnea.
If positive airway pressure is not enough, or if you find the machine too cumbersome to use daily, you might be able to treat obstructive sleep apnea with surgery. The surgery details vary depending on which part of the mouth or throat is causing the obstruction.
Some surgical procedures involve the removal of entire structures, like the tonsils or adenoids. In other cases, the surgeon reduces the size of obstructing mouth or throat structures. The surgeon can also implant supports that keep the airway open during a sleep apnea episode.
Other surgical procedures such as sinusplasty and septoplasty change the shape of nasal structures that contribute to sleep apnea so that they no longer obstruct airflow.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Shelby, OH, at Discovery Dental
Discovery Dental provides non-surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea, including oral appliance therapy. Getting treatment for sleep apnea together with quality dental care gives you two reasons to smile in one visit.
Schedule Your Sleep Apnea Treatment Today
Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous condition that can drain your energy and keep you from doing what you enjoy. Discovery Dental can help you relieve sleep apnea symptoms, reduce fatigue, and possibly reduce your risk of life-threatening conditions. If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, do not delay. Call 419-342-4217 to talk to the Discovery Dental team about sleep apnea treatment in Shelby, OH.
