Sleepiness and irritation throughout the day can be an indication of sleep apnea, but how can you find out if you are suffering from this sleep disorder? Our dentists in Surrey explain the effect of sleep disorders on your body and if a dentist can diagnose your sleep apnea.
What is the impact of sleep apnea on the human body?
If you experience little pauses in your breathing while you are sleeping these are referred to as apneas. This is where sleep apnea gets its name from. These breathing pauses can last a few seconds to a few minutes and can happen up to 30 times (or more) per night. After each pause, normal breathing resumes, typically there would be some type of sound, choking or something similar as you begin to breathe normally again.
Breathing problems, as you might expect, can disrupt your sleep and lead to a variety of complications that can harm your overall health, such as an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart attack. The effects of sleep apnea can also lead to other serious health concerns and potential accidents.
Are there different types of sleep apnea?
Unfortunately, it is common for the signs of sleep apnea to be missed during routine checkups due to the lack of obvious signs. The symptoms that are commonly reported are physically felt by the patient.
Mild Sleep Apnea
If a patient experiences mild sleep apnea the treatment and management options are usually pretty simple from dental appliances to weight management options.
Our dental team can make recommendations for weight loss treatment options while offering other services and appliances that can help manage your sleep apnea symptoms.
Severe Sleep Apnea
Dentists typically advise patients with severe sleep apnea to use CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). Continuous positive airway pressure, which uses air pressure to keep the airway open while you sleep, is the most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Another sleep apnea treatment option is Inspire therapy. This may be a good option for patients who are unable or unwilling to benefit from CPAP consistently.
Inspire monitors your breathing while you sleep and sends mild stimulation to the nerve that controls the movement of your tongue and other muscles in your airway to keep it open.