Sleep apnea is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed among people of all ages and health status. It was once thought that only overweight or elderly individuals were at risk of sleep apnea. However, airway obstruction while sleeping can affect healthy people or even those of an athletic build. Therefore, sleep apnea screenings are becoming increasingly more common and necessary. Our Okemos sleep apnea dentist, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, shares on the blog today why you should get a sleep apnea screening and how to tell if you could have this sleep-breathing disorder affecting millions across the country.
Airway screenings – why they matter
Airway screenings are essential because Dr. Tenaglia can assess your airway and determine if you could be at risk of a sleep breathing disorder. Currently, the only way to receive a sleep apnea diagnosis is with a sleep study. However, those can be costly and time consuming. Therefore, a simple and quick airway screening could help in determining if you should take the step to undergo an official sleep study.
Managing sleep apnea is crucial to your health. Ignoring the problem results in an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and memory loss. Insufficient sleep due to obstructive sleep apnea also reduces blood oxygenation, which causes inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a precursor to many other comorbidities and health conditions that result in an early death. Therefore, your life literally could be dependent on a simple airway screening that’s available to you at our Lansing dental office, Tenaglia Smiles.
Now that you are aware of the importance behind airway screenings, let’s explore common sleep apnea symptoms to determine if you could be at risk of this condition.
- Snoring – loud snoring or gasping for air is common among sleep apnea sufferers. You may not be aware that you snore while sleeping, so ask your partner or roommate, if you have one, if they observe or hear you snore.
- Dry mouth – Waking up in the morning with a dry mouth could be a sign that your airway is blocked and, in an attempt to get more air, your body resorts to mouth breathing, which dries out the mouth.
- Headaches – Chronic or frequent headaches are also linked to untreated sleep apnea. Insufficient sleep paired with lower blood levels tend to cause headaches and migraines.
- Chronic fatigue – Many, if not most adults suffer from chronic fatigue or the sense of feeling tired day after day. Don’t just ignore your fatigue, it could be caused by frequent nighttime awakenings caused by sleep apnea. Since fatigue could result in an accident at work or while driving, it’s paramount that you do not ignore this symptom.
Sleep Apnea Dentist in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
Sleep apnea can impact many other areas of your body and health. However, the symptoms we mentioned are some of the most common, telltale signs of sleep-breathing disorders. Therefore, if you experience any one of these symptoms or would like to schedule a sleep apnea screening, contact Tenaglia Smiles by calling (517) 347-6733.