Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
One out of every four American adults snores regularly. Are you one of them? Snoring may not seem like a big deal; it even could be something that you laugh about, but it can also be a sign of a serious health problem like obstructive sleep apnea. Today on the blog, Okemos’ award-winning dentist Dr. Christine Tenaglia takes a look at the link between sleep apnea and snoring.
What is sleep apnea and how does it affect you?
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea both classify as sleep breathing disorders, with snoring on the mild end of the spectrum and sleep apnea one of the most serious conditions in this classification. Someone with sleep apnea experiences obstructions in their airway when they sleep, to the point that these obstructions impede breathing. For an adult, these sleep apnea issues usually occur because the muscles in the back of the throat relax and collapse into the airway. This impedes breathing or often interrupts it entirely, lowering oxygen levels and eventually convincing the brain that you are choking to death. The brain then sends signals to the body to resume normal breathing. These breathing interruptions are known as apneic events.
The effects of sleep apnea
Sleep loss is an unavoidable and inevitable consequence of sleep apnea. Each apneic event disrupts the sleep cycle, even if you do not consciously wake up due to the airway obstruction. This means someone with sleep apnea spends less time in the deepest stages of sleep, which are crucial to restoring both the mind and the body. This means that the quality of sleep for someone with sleep apnea is going to remain poor and, with it, come consequences such as chronic fatigue and daytime sleepiness, along with sluggishness and difficulty focusing.
Left untreated, sleep apnea can have cascading effects on your health and wellness. Someone with severe, untreated sleep apnea faces elevated risk of conditions such as depression, risk of cardiac disease, unexplainable mood swings, high blood pressure, memory loss, cognitive decline or chance of stroke.
How does snoring relate to sleep apnea?
When you experience the collapse of tissue into your airway, your attempt to breathe can create a vibration as air reaches and works around that tissue. This vibration often leads to a noise, which is what you hear when someone snores. For this reason, loud snoring on a regular basis is considered one of the major warning signs of a possible case of sleep apnea.
How can your dentist in Okemos treat sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea can occur in someone of any age, although it is more prevalent among men than women. Age and weight also are factors that increase risk, along with lifestyle changes such as frequent consumption of alcohol. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea by a qualified sleep specialist, a dentist who is trained in airway management can provide relief for your sleep breathing disorder without the need for CPAP, through a course of oral appliance therapy. This entails wearing a customized mouthpiece that is designed for a snug, comfortable fit in your mouth to bring the lower jaw forward, keep the airway open and prevent the blockages that cause apneic events.
Tenaglia Smiles can treat your sleep apnea without CPAP. If you or someone you love is snoring loudly and regularly, they should be screened for sleep apnea. Schedule a consultation at our office today; just call (517) 347-6733 or complete our online appointment request form.