Snoring. It can indeed keep your bed partner up at night and make them angry at you, but did you know that it could also be a sign of a more significant problem?
Snoring that is loud enough to wake your bed partner up could be a symptom of sleep apnea. Now, this doesn't mean that everyone who snores has sleep apnea. However, the condition is typically associated with loud snoring, so if your bed partner is waking you up at night or vice versa, it may be time to consider looking into a sleep test to diagnose sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleeping disorder that occurs when an obstructed airway cuts off your oxygen while you sleep. The lack of oxygen signals your brain to wake you up, which can happen multiple times throughout the night, disturbing your rest. In fact, those suffering from severe sleep apnea may wake up hundreds of times throughout the night and not even realize it's happening.
When you don't get the rest your body needs to recharge during the night, it can result in a host of problems, such as:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart failure
- High blood pressure
- Weight gain
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
Sleep apnea contributes to these problems and can exacerbate them to the point where daily life can be quite debilitating in some cases.
How Do We Treat Sleep Apnea?
At Oak Family Dental, we offer sleep apnea treatment in Metairie so our patients can get the rest they need and deserve. We have a take-home sleep test that gathers information while you sleep comfortably in your own bed. Then, we send the information gathered to a certified sleep physician who provides a diagnosis and treatment prescription.
For mild or moderate cases of sleep apnea, we may be able to treat it with a custom mouth guard that slightly repositions your jaw while you sleep and opens your airways for clear breathing. More severe cases may require continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) or a combination of CPAP and an oral appliance.
If you would like more information about sleep apnea in Metairie and how we can help, please get in touch with Oak Family Dental today at (504) 834-6410.