Have you heard about sleep apnea? Have you heard about the harmful effects that it can have on your body? Perhaps you have been wondering if you have it. Perhaps you have a partner that you sleep beside and you are hearing things from them and are worried if they have it. Sleep apnea is very common but the severity of it can greatly differ. That is why our experts are here. We are here to talk about what a sleep apnea dentist does and what you can do to prevent it. Keep reading to learn more.
Let’s first talk about what sleep apnea really is. Sleep apnea is when you wake up in the middle of the night hard to breathe. It is when you stop breathing for a short period of time while you are asleep. Why is this not good? It is because oxygen is not going to your brain when you stop breathing and that can suddenly be a scary thing. We will talk about the results of this later on, but ultimately, you die from sleep apnea if you stop breathing for long enough.
People that have sleep apnea typically are not getting quite as good of a sleep as people that don’t have it. There are a number of things that a dentist is able to assist you with if you do have sleep apnea. There are sleep apnea masks that help push the airflow through that doctors can recommend. They will be specific for you and can sometimes follow under your regular insurance plan too. There is also a surgery that can occur that can help to get rid of sleep apnea. That is why it’s a good idea to speak with a medical professional so that you can learn what will work for you to get rid of sleep apnea.
You are probably wondering what a dentist exactly can do for you if you have sleep apnea. Let us tell you. The quality of your life revolves around your sleep. If you are not sleeping, you are tired during the day, you will be less productive, you may not remember as much, you will keep your partner up at night, there are so many things that are harming your health if you have sleep apnea. Snoring is not actually normal. Many people do not realize that snoring is a warning. It is not something that should be ignored and thought of as just another person that is snoring. If you are snoring, especially loudly, it’s important that you speak with your dentist so that you can do something about it so that it is not affecting the quality of your life.
Snoring is also a warning sign for sleep apnea. There are many treatments that can diagnose sleep apnea. If you are someone that snores, your doctor should be able to give you a prescription for an oral sleep appliance. In order to best decide which one is best for you, make sure that you schedule an appointment with them and write down from your and your partner’s perspective everything that is going on. If you do sleep in the same bed as someone, it’s a good idea to get their perspective because they will be able to share more about it since they witness it more than you.
The most common treatment for sleep apnea is a machine that helps put air into you. It is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and requires you to wear a mask that you wear while you are asleep. Many people say that this machine is very comfortable and easy to wear. Another option is the upper airway surgery. Again, your doctor and you will need to make a decision together. If you are able to get away with simply wearing a mask and it makes you breathing more regular, this is a great option.
Besides these options, many people that do have sleep apnea issues tend to be a bit overweight. It’s always a good idea to try and lose some weight not only for your overall health but for your sleep apnea too. This can help it to go down. It’s also a good idea to be mindful of what sleeping position you go to bed in. Of course, you can’t switch the position once you are asleep, if you can try and sleep on your side or your stomach, you may be a lot less likely to snore and have sleep apnea. This also can help you not to have it. You can ask your partner to remind you or to wake you up if you flip to your back. These are some things that you can speak with your dentist about while trying other things to get rid of the sleep apnea issue.
As you can see, sleep apnea is very dangerous. Sleep apnea affects people in so many ways. Not only can it cause people not to have a great night’s sleep, but it also can cause people to stop breathing for a short period of time and not have oxygen getting to the brain. Most people that experience sleep apnea are not aware of the situation that they have it and that is why their partner begins to research it and pushes them to speak with a dentist. Speaking with a dentist is a good idea and they will be able to help you. We hope this article helped and you or your loved ones are on your way to a better night’s sleep and getting rid of sleep apnea.