Colonial Dental Group Cosmetic Dentistry Blog - Dooley, Lewis, and Quezada
Friday, August 1, 2008
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where a person stops breathing repeatedly during the night. The muscles of the throat and mouth relax and may obstruct the airway, especially if you are lying is a supine position (on your back).
These periods of breathlessness (apnea) may go unnoticed by the person experiencing them, but their consequences are readily apparent.
Obese people are more susceptible to sleep apnea due to the increased volume of lax tissue blocking the airway.
Some ways to deal with it
Lifestyle changes are commonly encouraged to address obstructive sleep apnea.
We can also use oral appliance therapy (OAT) to make you a dental device. You would wear it in the mouth at night and it works by shifting the jaw forward to open the airway.
Another treatment option known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a machine that assists in breathing during the night when apnea occurs.
If you would like to know more about sleep apnea, please contact us, and we will set up a personal consultation for you.
These periods of breathlessness (apnea) may go unnoticed by the person experiencing them, but their consequences are readily apparent.
- Fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth
- General malaise
Obese people are more susceptible to sleep apnea due to the increased volume of lax tissue blocking the airway.
Some ways to deal with it
Lifestyle changes are commonly encouraged to address obstructive sleep apnea.
- Weight loss
- Smoking cessation
- Lying on your side instead of your back
- Sleeping with your head and back elevated up to thirty degrees
We can also use oral appliance therapy (OAT) to make you a dental device. You would wear it in the mouth at night and it works by shifting the jaw forward to open the airway.
Another treatment option known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a machine that assists in breathing during the night when apnea occurs.
If you would like to know more about sleep apnea, please contact us, and we will set up a personal consultation for you.
posted by
Patti
at
1:25 PM
1775 Glenview Rd.
Suite 107
Glenview, Illinois 60025-2969
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