Why Sleep Apnea is Giving Your Sleepless Nights?

About 10% of women and 25% of men have sleep apnea. It’s a sleep disorder that occurs when breathing is interrupted during sleep. If untreated, it can lead to serious health complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart attacks. It can also cause work-related accidents and loss of concentration to school-going children.

Are you looking for sleep apnea treatment near you? Then, visit Laguna Family Dentistry for quality and individualized services.

Sleep apnea can be caused by various factors such as obesity or a large neck. In addition, other structural abnormalities such as oversize tonsils, a small jaw that has an overbite, or nasal obstruction can lead to apnea disorders.

There are three types of sleep apnea. They are;

Central Sleep Apnea

It is related to the central nervous system and cannot be treated using oral appliances. With central sleep apnea, the brain fails to notify the muscles to breathe. The respiratory control center instability causes this. You are at a higher risk of getting central sleep apnea if you have neuromuscular disorders, suffered a stroke, or have cardiovascular conditions.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

This is the most common type of apnea. It is experienced when the upper air path is either partial or completely blocked. The airway normally gets blocked when the soft tissue in front of the throat collapses.

During the episode, the diaphragm and respiratory muscles are under pressure to open the airway, making the body jerk with a loud breathing gasp.

Mixed Sleep Apnea

This is a combination of both central and obstructive sleep apneas.

Signs of Sleep Apnea

The sleeping partner usually recognizes the onset symptoms of sleep apnea. It usually starts with sleep complaints that the affected person is not aware of. Some of the common sleep apnea symptoms include;

• Having sleepless nights accompanied by nighttime awakenings
• Waking up with a sore throat and a dry mouth
• Experiencing depression, irritability, forgetfulness, or concentration issues
• Frequently urinating at night
• Sweating excessively at night
• Waking up suddenly at night gasping or choking

Diagnosis

During the diagnosis procedure, our dentist near you will perform a comprehensive physical examination. They will examine your oral craniofacial structures for any abnormalities associated with sleep apnea.

A sleep evaluation study may be recommended.  An overnight sleep test study may also be ordered by our dentist in Laguna Beach. The overnight sleep study includes a polysomnogram (PSG). PSG is done in a sleep laboratory under the supervision of a trained specialist. It involves recording several body functions; your eye movements, heart rate, muscle activity, breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and airflow as you sleep.

A home sleep test can also be done in adults. It, however, records a few body functions than PSG. This test is not ideal for a person with no symptoms or with severe medical conditions.

Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea

There are a number of treatment options for people with sleep apnea in Laguna Beach. If you have a mild sleep apnea case, a few lifestyle changes may be recommended. They include getting rid of excess weight if obese and avoiding smoking. For nasal allergies, allergy treatment will be prescribed.

Other treatment options available are;

Oral Appliances

In sleep apnea therapy treatment, oral appliances that keep your throat open are also used.  They open up your throat by pushing your jaw forward. Oral appliances are used to deal with mild sleep apnea and snoring.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

It is used on individuals with moderate or severe sleep apnea. CPAP machine is used to deliver air pressure through a mask as you sleep. The pressure helps in keeping your upper airways open, preventing snoring and grunting.

Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV)

This treatment method uses an airflow device that learns your breathing routine and records it. Then, as you sleep, ASV prevents breathing interruptions by using pressure to normalize your breathing patterns.

Surgery

When other treatment options don’t work, a surgical procedure will be recommended. However, if you have jaw abnormalities, surgery is considered the first option.

Some of the surgical procedures involved include;

• Nerve stimulation. A stimulation device is inserted on the nerve that controls the tongue. It helps the tongue to hold in place, keeping the airway open.
• Jaw reposition. The procedure pushes your jaw forward from the other facial bones. This will enlarge the space between your tongue and soft palate. It reduces any risks of having an obstruction.
• Tissue shrinkage. With the help of radio-frequency ablation, the tissue at the back of your throat gets shrunk. The procedure can be used on mild or moderate apnea and has lower surgical risks.