Serving areas of Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
You probably know that sleep is a cornerstone to good overall physical and mental health. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, getting the quality rest you need is next to impossible. Living with sleep apnea can affect your memory and leave you fatigued during the day, but there’s another consequence of sleep apnea you may not have considered: job loss.
A study published earlier this year found that individuals who recently became unemployed and also had undiagnosed sleep apnea probably were going to have a greater difficulty remaining gainfully employed. Specifically, results found that people with moderate to severe cases of sleep apnea were more than twice as likely to have been laid off or fired multiple times.
The study looked at 261 participating individuals, 45 percent of whom had lost multiple jobs. The participants were sent home to perform a home sleep study, with those findings determining that 42 percent of the study participants had at least a mild case of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is an epidemic
The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that 22 million people in the United States suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep, making breathing more difficult or often cutting off the flow of air altogether. If you have sleep apnea, each time one of these obstructions occurs, your brain sends signals to your body that breathing has been interrupted, bringing you out of the sleep cycle and depriving you of the restoration to body and mind that occur during the deepest stage of sleep.
Unfortunately, many cases of sleep apnea go undiagnosed. Symptoms of the disorder, however, include loud snoring, appearing to choke or gasp while asleep, restless sleep, and frequently waking up with headaches. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue, and impair your memory and cognitive ability—all of which can be very detrimental when you’re part of the workforce.
Sleep apnea treatment in Okemos
If you have sleep apnea, treatment is crucial. While sleep apnea only can be diagnosed by a sleep specialist, then Tenaglia Smiles can help treat the disorder and its effects on your life, body, and mind. We prefer to use oral appliance therapy, which recently was recognized by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea. Oral appliance therapy also can be used as an alternative to using a CPAP machine. Each of our oral appliances is custom-made from high-quality materials and designed from impressions of your mouth to ensure a snug, secure fit. When worn, this appliance serves as a mandibular advancement device, bringing the lower jaw forward to maintain an open airway throughout the night—and preventing the blockages that cause sleep apnea.
Start getting the sleep you deserve. Your health and your employment may depend on it. To schedule an appointment, please call (517) 347-6733. Tenaglia Smiles welcomes patients of Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing.