Obstructive sleep apnea can severely affect your, and often your partner's ability to rest. But the risks can be even more severe if it remains untreated. Thankfully, your Attleboro Falls, MA, professionals of the Greater Attleboro Center for Dental Sleep Medicine can offer a non-invasive way of managing it through oral appliance treatment. Get in contact with them to learn more.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your airway becomes blocked at night as you sleep. The most immediate symptom is snoring, and the most troubling one is the temporary interruption to your breathing. Your body will often react to it by waking you, which robs you of sleep as the cycle continues until morning.
The Risk Factors
Being overweight can contribute to sleep apnea, as fat deposits around the neck can constrict your airway passages. Your tongue can also affect your breathing as you sleep by collapsing back into the passageway. This can happen if you have a large tongue or if you suffer from retrognathia, or an overbite.
Oral Appliance Treatment
Weight loss and lifestyle changes are usually part of any treatment for managing your sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) can often be helpful but the machine can be loud and the mask cumbersome. Oral appliance treatment employs, as the name suggests, a dental appliance very similar to a mouthguard which keeps your airway clear as you sleep. It's a treatment you can easily carry with you as you travel and is much easier to get used to wearing every day.
Obstructive Sleep Therapy in Attleboro Falls, MA
Snoring isn't always a sign that you suffer from sleep apnea, but it is a symptom of it. If you suspect that you have obstructive sleep apnea then arrange for a consultation today. Contact the specialists of the Greater Attleboro Center for Dental Sleep Medicine in Attleboro Falls, MA, by dialing (508) 699-9550.