When you feel tried or wake in the night struggling to breathe, you could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes problems for your ability to rest and for your quality of life. In today’s blog, your Des Moines, IA, dentist will talk about how we treat sleep apnea with a comfortable oral appliance.
The Factors Behind OSA
With OSA, the soft tissues in the back of our mouth and in our throat end up too relaxed as we sleep, collapsing and blocking airflow. We stop breathing for several seconds until the brain “wakes” us to resume. Few people remember waking up, even though this could happen several times and interrupt your sleep cycle. The result could be daytime exhaustion and other symptoms. Without treatment the disorder continues to strain your immune and cardiovascular systems. Over enough time, this could increase the risk of illness, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even stroke or heart attack. While this could impact teens and adults alike, risk factors include age (55 and older), obesity, large neck circumference, sinuses or allergy issues, deviated septum, or sleeping on your back, excessive alcohol consumption.
When to Seek Treatment
Along with daytime exhaustion, people with the disorder could experience episodes of waking in the night gasping or choking. Waking with dry mouth is common, as are headaches and migraines during the day. Moodiness and trouble staying on focused or awake behind the wheel could be symptoms as well. If you encounter one or more of these possible warning signs, then contact our team today.
Creating Your Custom Oral Appliance
You could help by resting on your side, maintaining a good sleep schedule, and keeping your bedroom dark and cool. Avoiding vigorous exercise, large meals, and excessive alcohol in the two hours before bed is also beneficial. But for many, treatment with an oral appliance will be necessary. Essentially, we take detailed images and impressions of your smile, which we use to design and craft an oral appliance. The device will fit comfortably and be worn as you sleep, repositioning the jaw to keep airways open and free of obstruction. You then rest without difficulty and feel more rested and alert during the day.
If you have any questions about treating a disorder like OSA, or about our oral appliance system, then contact our team today to learn more. We wat to help you rest with ease again!
TALK TO YOUR DES MOINES, IA DENTIST ABOUT SLEEP DISORDERS
Our team wants to help rest without difficulty, finding a noninvasive and cozy solution to sleep apnea. To find out more about how we help you enjoy a better night’s rest, then please contact your Des Moines, IA, dentist, Dr. Burds, by calling 515-244-9565.