Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s airways are blocked by soft tissues, causing them to stop breathing briefly and leading to exhaustion. But what causes this disorder, and how can we offer relief for our patients? In today’s blog, your Greenville, TX, sleep dentist talks about the factors behind sleep apnea and how we can help!
The Factors Behind Snoring and Sleep Apnea
What causes a person to develop sleep apnea? The disorder means that as you rest soft tissues in the back of your mouth and in your throat become too relaxed and then collapse, which cuts off airflow. You stop breathing briefly until the brain wakes you to resume. While you usually don’t remember waking, this can happen hundreds of times in a single night, which leads to REM sleep interruptions and daytime exhaustion. Possible factors include obesity, age and gender (most sufferers are men 55 and older, but all genders and ages could develop the disorder), and a large neck circumference. A deviated septum, sinus and allergy issues, excessive alcohol consumption, and resting on your back could also be factors.
A Diagnosis From Home
When you begin to experience common symptoms, such as chronic snoring, daytime drowsiness, irritability, and waking in the night choking or gasping for air, then you should see our team for a diagnosis. To obtain one with accuracy, we may recommend an at-home sleep test. We will send you home with a small device that is worn while you rest. This monitors your blood oxygen levels and other factors. Our doctor will then interpret the results, and again an accurate assessment of the severity of your sleep disorder. From there, we can decide on the best course of treatment, which may include a custom oral appliance.
Treatment with a Custom Oral Appliance
Instead of a loud and cumbersome CPAP machine, our team will instead create an oral appliance, custom-fitting it based on detailed digital images and measurements we take of your bite. Also known as a Mandibular Advancement Device, this will look and fit similar to a nightguard, and is worn while you rest at night. Once in place, this helps shift your jaw forward to keep airways open and free of obstruction, so you breathe without complication and wake up feeling rested and refreshed again. The device is easy to use and clean, and it can travel with you too!
If you have any questions, contact our team today!
Talk To Our Team About Our Mandibular Advancement Device
Our team wants to help you rest with ease and wake up feeling more rested and refreshed the next day. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, call Dental Sleep Solutions in Greenville, TX, today at 903-455-0516.