Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

1. Snoring:
Loud, chronic snoring is one of the most frequently cited symptoms of sleep apnea. Snoring is the vibration in the upper respiratory airways during sleep. It is caused by partial blockage or obstructions as air is being restricted from moving easily through the airways.

2. Breaks or pauses in breathing:
Fatty tissues of the throat or tongue become relaxed during sleep and fall back into your airways, in turn, restricts airflow and causes you to stop breathing for a few seconds. Your brain wakes itself when this happens due to oxygen levels dropping in your blood. Even though your brain partially wakes, you still remain mostly asleep. While you remain mostly asleep, your body does not get the deep sleep its needs because of being interrupted multiple times in the night which leads to frequent tiredness, another symptom of sleep apnea.

3. Overweight or Obese:
Sleep apnea can often be caused by excess fatty tissues that become built up in the back of the neck and throat. When you sleep, like stated above, the tissue falls back into the airway during sleep, causing obstructions, leading to apnea events. If your neck circumference is greater than 17 inches for men and 16 inches for women, you have a higher risk of sleep apnea.

4. Attitude:
Are you often irritable, depressed, or experience mood swings? Lack of quality sleep can directly affect a person’s mood. If you are loosing sleep most nights, it can make you more irritable, prone to anxiety, short-tempered, and if you are loosing sleep most nights over a long enough period of time, depression can become a factor.

Treatment
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, it could be time for you to consult a healthcare professional. Most people do not think to go to their Dentist, but they can treat you for this condition. First, a sleep study is required from your family physician. If you do not have a family physician, we at Victory Dental Group have teamed with Dr. Dave Rogers M.D. at AspenGlow Family Medicine to generate your sleep study. Once you have completed the sleep study, your physician or Dr. Rogers will consult with Dr. Koplow over the results. If you do in fact, have sleep apnea, we will make an appointment with you to discuss the best option for you. Sleep apnea appliances have come a long way. We are now able to help the condition with a mouth piece fitted just for you to make you as comfortable as possible for the sleep you so well deserve.