Achieve Better Sleep and Enhanced Health with Sleep Apnea Treatment
It’s recommended that adults should have at least 7-9 hours of a night’s sleep. Unfortunately, if you have obstructive sleep apnea, this may border the impossible. While you may not know that you wake up several times at night, sleep apnea deprives you of quality sleep, negatively affecting your mental and physical health. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea can put you at risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other systematic diseases.
Don’t let sleep apnea get the better of you. At Gerald Middleton DDS, Drs. Gerald Middleton and Adria Cate offer effective sleep apnea treatment to ensure you sleep soundly at night. Book an appointment today, and we’ll assist you in getting a restful night’s sleep.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
OSA is a sleep disorder where breathing stops and starts when sleeping at night. While the stoppages in breathing last about 10 seconds, these episodes can recur up to a hundred times at night. Breathing stops when the muscles in the throat relax, causing a blockage in the airway, either partial or complete.
When your brain senses oxygen deprivation, it awakens your body to resume normal breathing; that’s why you wake up choking or gasping for air. Inadequate sleep and oxygen, night after night, results in numerous unpleasant symptoms, including.
- Daytime fatigue
- Depression
- Mood changes
- Morning headaches and migraines
- Irritability
- Memory issues
- Low sex drive
If left untreated, OSA is a serious medical condition associated with an increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and, in severe cases, death. As a result, sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a sleep disorder physician or doctor using a sleep study and other diagnostics. After diagnosis, our dental team will devise a treatment plan to restore your health.
Treatment options for sleep apnea
After diagnosis, treatment depends on your sleep apnea type and the severity. The good news is that most sleep apnea cases can be treated with non-surgical methods. The common treatment options for OSA include:
- CPAP therapy: This device uses a hose and mask to maintain a steady flow of air to keep the airway open. While CPAPs work, many patients stop using them because of discomfort and difficulty to wear while sleeping. In the past, CPAP was the standard treatment, but now, other therapies with a high acceptance rate exist.
- Oral appliance therapy: This treatment uses a retainer-like device designed to position your lower jaw optimally and gently depress your tongue, keeping your airway open during sleep. Many patients prefer a mouthguard because it’s discreet, portable, and easy to use. Unlike a CPAP device, a sleep apnea mouthpiece is noiseless and doesn’t need electricity. Moreover, this device is made with precise measurements of your dentition to ensure it fits comfortably in your mouth. Once you slip it in your mouth, you’ll sleep and breathe normally without noticing its presence.
- Positional therapy: While you may love sleeping on your back, you may have to change this position if you suffer from OSA because it’s likely to collapse the airway. We recommend trying the side-sleeping position to help maintain an open airway.
- Lifestyle changes: Simple lifestyle tweaks, including weight loss and physical exercises, can help manage OSA symptoms. Additionally, it would help if you quit smoking and alcohol to keep sleep apnea under control.
- Surgery: If your sleep disorder remains unresponsive to alternative treatments, surgery might be the most effective course of action. This surgical procedure entails the removal of tissue from the back of the throat to expand the airway. Surgery is recommended primarily for severe sleep apnea, although it can also be considered for moderate cases to provide a long-lasting solution.
Sleep apnea treatment near me
Sleep is as vital as diet and exercise for good health. So, if sleep apnea affects your health, don’t hesitate to talk to our team at Gerald Middleton DDS for treatment. Our treatment will help you get enough sleep to leave you refreshed and relaxed when you wake up. Please call us at (951) 470-3379 to schedule your consultation.