Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
It’s common for people worldwide to snore. In fact, everyone snores at one point in their lifetime. Whether they may have a sinus infection, consume alcohol before bed, or are overly exhausted, although this is usually occasional snoring, not habitual. However, for those who snore regularly, whether lightly or loudly, there could be an underlying condition that requires treatment. Even though it’s tempting to ignore this nocturnal behavior, it could dramatically impact your overall health and wellness. Therefore, our Okemos dentist who treats sleep apnea, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, shares on the blog today six scary reasons to stop ignoring your snoring and seek treatment as soon as possible.
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Weight Control
Studies continuously show that snoring and weight control problems go hand in hand. For example, those who snore loudly are often overweight and have excess fat tissues that block the airway. Unfortunately, when the blockage occurs, and your body does not receive adequate rest, it causes problems with losing weight. Therefore, you may struggle with weight loss progress due to your sleep patterns until you address the situation. Then, with proper nutrition and rest, your body can let go of the weight it’s been holding.
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Morning Headaches
Waking up daily with morning headaches can challenge even the most skilled individuals. The intense pressures can cloud your thinking and concentration, leading to other disastrous situations like work-related accidents, missed deadlines, and other mistakes on the job. Our Lansing sleep apnea dentist explains that frequent morning headaches may be a result of snoring while sleeping. As your airway becomes blocked, it prevents proper oxygen flow into the body and to the brain. As a result, you begin your day with a headache. Although reaching for over-the-counter medication may be the norm, the condition won’t subside without proper treatment.
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Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Snorers often suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness because their body struggles to breathe through the night. When you have a blocked airway, your brain must wake up your body and tell it to breathe, which causes sleep cycle disruptions. Daytime sleepiness holds a myriad of complications that could occur, from forgetting your wallet when going to lunch to having an accident on the way home from work from falling asleep at the wheel. Even though most people run to the coffee pot or gas station for an energy drink as a quick remedy, it’s merely a band-aid approach to a serious sleep condition.
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Increased Snoring Intensity
Snoring, even a little bit, can disturb your sleeping partner, and you may end up in a sleep divorce situation where you sleep in separate beds. Our East Lansing dentist who treats sleep apnea explains that, unfortunately, avoiding treatment could cause it to worsen and become louder. Although the sound can be obnoxious, it also means that your condition is advancing and could cause serious health problems. Therefore, if you snore and your sleep partner says it’s louder than before, it may be in your best interest to seek professional help.
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Health Risks
Snoring may sound harmless. However, it’s an indication that the airway is blocked and the body isn’t receiving enough oxygen, which poses multiple health risks. Aside from being sleepy throughout the day, sleep loss can also result in a wide range of health consequences, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and depression. Therefore, it’s crucial to acknowledge the snore and accept treatment before long-term damage occurs from an untreated condition.
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Difficulty Concentrating or Remembering
Our East Lansing sleep apnea dentist explains that your brain requires oxygen to function properly and effectively. Since snorers develop blocked airways, the brain and body don’t receive the necessary oxygen levels required for daily functions. Unfortunately, the result is a lack of focus, an inability to concentrate on menial tasks, and challenges when remembering things. Additionally, snoring disrupts the brain from the deepest stage of the sleep cycle, REM sleep, which means the brain is unable to restore and rejuvenate.
Sleep Apnea in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
Sleep deprivation is a chronic problem that goes undiagnosed in millions of people because they accept their snoring as something natural. However, snoring is often a symptom of a much bigger problem than can worsen over time when you don’t seek proper treatment. Therefore, our sleep apnea dentist in Okemos, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, explains that if you snore, you need to walk through our doors. Schedule a consultation at Tenaglia Smiles by calling (517) 347-6733 or contact us online today.