Sleep Apnea and Snoring: You don’t have to just live with it!
The cheerful staff at Sheridan Dental is proud to offer you life-altering treatments.
Sure, snoring is a nuisance, but it can also be a serious threat to your well-being. Snoring can be a sign of a serious medical condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. It can also cause real tension between co-sleepers, as studies indicate that people who sleep with snorers may lose as much as two hours of sleep a night.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
With obstructive sleep apnea, the narrow airway that causes snoring completely collapses, cutting off your air. Essentially, your own tissues are choking you. The tissues of the airway depend on the jaw for support, meaning a poorly positioned jaw can cause or contribute to sleep apnea. In order to combat the oxygen deficiency, your brain will wake you just enough that your muscles can reopen the airway. Though you are often unaware of these partial awakenings, they can happen dozens of times an hour, preventing a solid night of sleep.
Your body and brain suffer from these short periods of oxygen deprivation because the heart has to work harder to pump the normal amount of blood to required by the body. Sufferers of sleep apnea are at an increased risk for a number of physical and psychological conditions. These can include:
● Memory loss
● Personality changes
● High blood pressure
● Heart attacks
● Coronary artery disease
● Stroke
● Hormonal imbalance
● Weight gain
● Increased risk of diabetes
● Memory loss
● Inability to concentrate
● Anxiety
● Impotence
● Other cardiovascular conditions
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Many symptoms are common and hard to recognize, like:
● Fatigue
● Lack of motivation
● Inability to concentrate
● Dozing off in the middle of work or while driving
An official diagnosis can be reached either at a sleep center during an overnight polysomnogram or at home with the use of a take-home sleep test. We have a longstanding relationship with many sleep centers in the area and can arrange for a sleep test. We can also provide you with a take-home sleep test. Both methods are effective, so you have the freedom to choose what best suits your situation.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
There are many sleep apnea treatment options. For very mild sleep apnea, and as a complement to other sleep apnea treatments, behavioral therapy is recommended. Avoiding alcohol at night, losing weight, quitting smoking and getting to bed at a reasonable hour can all reduce the severity of your apnea.
For mild and moderate sleep apnea, Dr. Sheridan recommends oral appliance therapy. This means while you sleep, you wear a mouthpiece that holds your jaw and/or tongue in place. This helps to keep your airway open at all times. We can recommend an appropriate appliance, fit it, and ensure its effectiveness.
Severe sleep apnea is typically treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). CPAP uses an air pump and mask to pump air into your throat. Surgery and medication are also treatment options.
Why Choose Dr. Sheridan for Sleep Apnea Treatment
Dr. Raymond Sheridan has received training in the treatment of sleep apnea from the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He was one of the first dentists in the Columbus, Ohio area to treat sleep apnea and has helped many patients find relief, including a number of children suffering from this serious condition. At Sheridan Dental, we have helped many snoring and sleep apnea sufferers to regain quiet, deep sleep.
To find a snoring solution or to learn more about sleep apnea and how our neuromuscular dentistry team at Sheridan Dental can help you, please contact our Grove City office to schedule your complimentary consultation today.