When you experience issues like chronic snoring or daytime drowsiness, then you could be experiencing the symptoms of a serious disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea. Knowing when to seek treatment can help you enjoy a better night’s rest and an improved quality of life. In today’s blog, your Livonia, MI, dentist talks about recognizing sleep apnea symptoms.
Nighttime Symptoms
First, let’s talk about the symptoms that occur at night. Sleep apnea means that as you sleep, soft tissues in the back of your mouth and in your throat become too relaxed and then collapse, which cuts off airflow. You stop breathing until the brain registers the sudden drop in oxygen and wakes you up. You may not remember each episode, but this interrupts your REM sleep hundreds of times a night in some cases, so you’re left with poor rest and over time, poor overall health. At night, you may experience chronic snoring, or episodes of waking suddenly gasping or air or choking. If this happens on a regular basis, then please reach out to our team today.
Daytime Symptoms
During the day, you could notice that you wake with dry mouth and experience headaches during the day. You could feel exhausted despite assuming you slept the night before, and may be irritable and have trouble focusing on tasks at work or school. You could also experience issues with your memory. Over time, the disorder could strain your immune system so you’re more susceptible to illness. The stress on your cardiovascular system could mean high blood pressure, heart disease, and even a greater risk of stroke and heart attack.
Seeking Treatment
You should contact our team for a sleep assessment so we can decide if you need or move forward with an at-home sleep test or an overnight labs test to assess the severity of your sleep apnea. We will then choose a treatment option to help you rest. Instead of a loud and uncomfortable CPAP machine, we often help patients with our custom oral appliances, devices that fit like mouthguards. These are worn as you sleep and are easy to clean and store, and travel with you too! The appliances then shift the jaw and tongue forward to keep airways open and free of obstruction, so you can rest with ease.
If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat issues like sleep apnea with an oral appliance, then contact our team today.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT TREATING YOUR SLEEP CONCERNS?
Our team is ready to help you enjoy a good night’s rest by tackling your sleep disorder. If you’re ready to treat the symptoms of sleep apnea, call about a consultation with Dr. Stewart and his staff in Livonia, Michigan at 734-425-4400.
