To have a productive day, you must have a full night’s rest. Unfortunately, up to 25 million Americans report having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Not getting enough sleep not only directly affects how you take on the day and your productivity, but it directly affects your safety and well-being. Did you know that fatigued driving is responsible 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries annually just in the United States? Your dentist in Covington can help reduce your risk of not only ending up in a potentially fatal car wreck, but also reduce your chances of developing health concerns that go way past irregular sleeping patterns. Let’s explore sleep apnea and the best way to treat it.
What is sleep apnea?
Most patients suffer from the most popular form of sleep apnea, or OSA. Obstructive sleep apnea when you experience pauses in breathing while you’re resting. It’s really dangerous to your health because the length of the pauses varies from just a few seconds to upwards to a few minutes. The times that you do start breathing again, your body will produce a loud snore or choking sound—one of which can be very irritating to your bed partner. The biggest risk factors associated with sleep apnea are breathing cessation (interruptions) and the sleep deprivation that follows that disruption. You may experience these symptoms if you’re dealing with any form of sleep apnea:
- Frequent waking throughout the night
- Loud, chronic snoring
- Headaches
- Difficulty focusing, especially at work or while driving
- Dry mouth or a sore throat
- Exhaustion, irritability, and/or depression
Exhaustion Effects Your Quality of Life
Sleep deprivation takes a huge toll on the overall quality of your life. Imagine a baby that never gets to complete their nap—they’re cranky! When you’re victim to this sleep disorder, you’re constantly tired and most likely have a horrible attitude towards the people around you. The toll irregular sleep takes becomes evident quickly, making the simplest tasks difficult to focus on. Your increased irritability will eventually affect your relationships with the loved ones around you. So, how can More Smiles Dental Spa help you get your life back to normal again?
More Smiles Offers a CPAP Alternative
For the longest time, obstructive sleep apnea has been treated with a machine known as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). Patients find this form of sleep apnea treatment to be uncomfortable. Although it does force your airways open by continuously pushing air into your mouth, it’s large, bulky, and quite loud. Many patients experience the inability to sleep still, but from the inconvenience the machine poses rather than their sleep apnea.
Thankfully, More Smiles Dental Spa has an alternative option for sleep apnea in Covington. Our dentists can prescribe a personalized oral appliance that holds the lower jaw in place to prevent irregular breathing. After wearing the appliance, many patients have reported that their snoring has stopped, sleep has become more consistent, and they feel much more rested than before.
If you’re tired of feeling tired, contact our office. Our sleep apnea dentists are here to help you get the sleep that you need and deserve every night.