Dental sleep medicine focuses on oral appliances for treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). One way this condition can be recognizable is by the tissue in the back of an individual’s throat collapsing as they sleep, blocking the airways throughout the night. OSA is a serious condition that causes many short and long-term effects, so it’s important you schedule your appointment with Dr. Paul Dionne at Glen Ridge Dental Arts & North Jersey Dental Sleep Medicine, located at the Montclair and Glen Ridge, NJ border, right away. Here are several signs of sleep apnea and how you can manage this condition.
Common sleep apnea signs
If you have sleep apnea, you may notice one or more of these signs:
- Frequent Snoring: Snoring, one of the most well-known signs of sleep apnea, occurs when your throat muscles vibrate when you sleep. If you have sleep apnea, your throat muscles relax and your airway becomes narrower when you sleep, which increases vibrations and worsens snoring.
- Gasping and Choking: Sleep apnea occurs when you stop breathing multiple times during the night, usually for a few seconds at a time. Gasping and choking serve an important purpose because it opens your airway and allow you to begin breathing again. Unfortunately, chronic oxygen deprivation can lead to strokes, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes.
- Fatigue: When your sleep is constantly interrupted, it's hard to feel rested and energetic. Fatigue can be a sign that you have sleep apnea.
- Difficulty Concentrating: In addition to fatigue, you may also notice that it's harder to concentrate. Difficulty concentrating can be particularly dangerous if your job involves operating heavy machinery or driving for hours at a time.
- Morning Headaches: Oxygen deprivation can also lead to morning headaches. Although the headaches usually go away an hour or two after you wake up, they can be a warning sign of sleep apnea.
- Irritability: Sleep deprivation can also affect your moods, leaving you feeling irritable and depressed.
How can sleep apnea be treated?
Oral Appliance Therapy can be a key treatment for a healthy life. A thorough Oral Appliance for Sleep Medicine exam is the first step to determining what kind of oral appliance will be best. Once the oral appliance is delivered, therapy will require several visits to make sure the oral appliance is correct in the mandibular repositioning that moves the jaw forward while sleeping, keeping airways open.
Your dental team offers a low-tech solution for your sleep apnea. These dental sleep medicine treatments ensure that you and your household can sleep soundly once again. Are you interested in learning how sleep dentistry can help you treat sleep apnea? Call Dr. Paul Dionne at Glen Ridge Dental Arts & North Jersey Dental Sleep Medicine, located on the border of Montclair, Bloomfield, and Glen Ridge, NJ, at 973-748-7790.