Sleep Apnea

Snoring/Sleep Apnea

Did you know that your dentist can play a crucial role in snoring prevention and treatment? In fact, our dentists are often the first line of defense for those who are struggling with snoring.  Snoring is an underrated cause of chronic exhaustion. If your partner has begged you to sort out your snoring, it might be time to ask our East Village dentists to take a look. 

What Causes Snoring? 

Snoring is a vibrational sound as a result of an obstructed airflow through the mouth and nose. This can occur because of: 

• Enlarged Tissues: Those who are overweight or have enlarged tonsils can develop bulky tissues in the throat and around their airway. This leads to snoring and blocked airways. 
• Genetic Factors: Excess tissues like a long uvula or a saggy soft palate can cause your passageways to narrow. These issues are a result of genetics and can be discovered by your doctor. 
• Narrowed Nasal Passages: Any problems revolving around the nose or sinuses can cause snoring. Some people might only snore when they are sick or suffering from allergies. Others may suffer from a deviated septum and snore more frequently. 

Why You Should Take Snoring Seriously

Snoring is more than just an annoyance during sleep. It is an actual medical disease and should be treated as such. Although it is common to ignore snoring, it is a huge indicator of obstructive sleep apnea and should be checked out by our dentists. 

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring may not seem like an important issue to address. However, sleep apnea could be affecting your life more than you might realize. Sleep apnea can cause:

• Headaches.
• Heart problems.
• Daytime sleepiness.
• And in some cases, death.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you stop breathing for periods of about 10–30 seconds between breaths. (This is what causes the gasping for air sounds or snoring while sleeping) When this happens repeatedly, you can experience oxygen deprivation during the night. This will interrupt your sleep and deprive your body of the vital oxygen it needs to heal itself and reset throughout the night. This will leave you feeling exhausted throughout the day. 

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition where your muscles relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to block your airways. This can cause you to stop breathing many times during the night for anywhere from a few seconds to a minute at a time.  This results in interruptions in your sleep and deprives your body of the vital oxygen it needs to heal itself and reset throughout the night. This will leave you feeling exhausted throughout the day.  Untreated sleep apnea is linked to serious health problems like:

• Stroke.
• Cancer.
• Heart issues.
• Immune health.
• High blood sugar.
• Fatigue & accidents.
• Mental health & Alzheimer’s.
• Impaired cognitive functioning.

Although this condition is more present in men, it can also affect women and children. Sleep apnea and snoring go hand in hand. But snoring is not the only symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. 

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Other than the loud or frequent snoring and silent pauses in breathing, other symptoms of sleep apena include: 

• Morning headaches.
• High blood pressure.
• Decreased sex drive.
• Being tired during the day.
• Waking in the morning feeling unrefreshed.
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering things.
• Mood changes, such as depression or irritability.
• Waking up frequently at night to go to the bathroom.

How Can We Help? 

Our expert dentists can help screen for obstructive sleep apnea. We take into account neck circumference, snoring, apnea episodes, and hypertension to determine how likely it is that you have OSA.   Come and see us if you or if your partner observes the following:

• Waking up gasping or choking.
• Pauses in your breathing during sleep.
• Having excessive daytime drowsiness.
• Snoring loud enough to disturb your sleep or that of others.
• Falling asleep while working, watching television, or even driving a vehicle.

All of these issues can damage your dental and overall health. You can rest assured that our team is invested in finding a solution for you personally.  Our dentists can help provide a night guard that fits comfortably over your teeth and helps to prevent snoring. These devices can help move your lower jaw forward and prevent soft tissues from obstructing your airway. 

Get a Better Night’s Sleep Starting Now!

Your body needs good sleep, not just extra sleep. If you’re struggling to breathe freely at night, it’s time to address your sleep apnea.

Schedule an appointment today to meet with one of our dentists about your snoring.