Sleep apnea affects millions of people each night. Caused by a blocked airway, sleep apnea can have harmful effects on your health because it robs your body of oxygen and restful sleep.
Because sleep apnea occurs while you are asleep, you may be unaware that you suffer from the disorder. Here are three signs you may have sleep apnea
1. You constantly snore, or you snore loudly
Loud or ?frequent snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea. If your airway is compromised, the amount of air that can get through with each breath is restricted. As air pushes past?the over relaxed tissues of your throat, they vibrate, causing noisy snoring. The more restricted your airway, the louder your snoring.
2. You are always tired
Feeling tired all the time or feeling like you are not getting enough rest no matter how long you sleep,is another symptom of sleep apnea. When your airways becomes blocked either by excessively relaxed through muscles or by too much throat tissue, it can briefly stop your breathing.
Each time your breathing stops, you awaken to restart it. This can happen dozens of times each night. With each awakening, you can be pulled out of the deep restful state of sleep that’s required for your body and brain to recharge.
3. You suffer from morning headaches
Because your breathing is continually stopping, you do not receive enough oxygen, and carbon dioxide can build up in your blood. This affects both your nervous system and the blood flow to your brain, causing headache as well as memory and mood changes. Approximately, 20 percent of all individuals with sleep apnea can will experience morning headaches.
Get back to restful sleep
Sleep apnea may be a common disorder but it can lead to much more serious problems. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or are concerned about the quality of sleep that you are getting, contact with your physician. Sleep disorders are usually diagnosed by a referral to a sleep clinic or sleep lab.
Once diagnosed, sleep apnea can be treated with Oral Appliance Therapy. A dentist specializing in sleep disorders can help control your airway obstruction with this simple, ?effective and alternative treatment to the common CPAP system.
If you would like to find out more about how a sleep dentist can help treat your sleep disorder, please come in for a free consultation.