Are you constantly feeling tired, even after a whole night of sleep? Is your partner telling you that you snore too loudly? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, you might be suffering from a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is a severe sleeping disorder that is identified by stopped breathing throughout an average night’s sleep. When breathing is temporarily stopped, patients tend to wake suddenly due to their body detecting a diminished oxygen supply. At Complete Dental Care, we take your overall health very seriously and want all of our patients to know how sleep apnea affects your overall health and we want to familiarize you with the symptoms so that you can receive help as soon as possible.
Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Diagnosing this condition is done by completing a sleep test that a medical provider administers. But, to help our patients, we have listed the common sleep apnea symptoms to help you beware of possible sleep apnea cases. They are as follows:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Insomnia
- Loud snoring
- Morning headaches
- Sleep deprivation
- Difficulty focusing
- Irritability
If you have noticed that you are suffering from one or more of these symptoms, it is vital to reach out to a professional for help.
Treatment
The most common type of sleep disorder that we help treat here in our office is called obstructive sleep apnea. This is when the muscles in the throat relax during sleep, causing the airway to be blocked off, therefore, preventing oxygen from flowing.
The most well-known type of sleep apnea treatment is the use of a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine that is worn throughout the night to ensure the patient is receiving constant oxygen. Although this treatment does work, it can be a hassle to wear every night. At Complete Dental Care, we offer customized oral sleep apnea appliances.
Untreated, this sleep disorder will typically get worse with time and can lead to more intense health issues. It is common among people suffering from sleep apnea to have high blood pressure, develop diabetes, and suffer from a stroke.
Get Diagnosed
If you believe that you could be suffering from a sleep disorder, you should immediately tell either a health or dental professional. It would be best if you took care of this as soon as possible to help limit the risk of other serious health issues.
To be diagnosed professionally, it is common to undergo a sleep test where sudden wakes and oxygen levels will be monitored and recorded. Having a sleep disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, and it can be managed!
Please give us a call at Complete Dental Care if you have questions regarding sleep apnea or the symptoms that you have been experiencing.