What Can Be Done For Sleep Apnea?

Posted by drgracesun on May 12, 2010 under Function, General Dental Knowledge, Healthy Smile, Information | Be the First to Comment

Do you suffer from Sleep apnea? Do you snore at night? Sleep apnea, a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep. Common signs and symptoms include gasping, choking  or silences during sleep, sudden awakening during sleep, loud snoring and daytime sleepiness. Not only can sleep apnea affect your energy levels throughout your day, but chronic sleep apnea carries potentially dangerous health affects. Thankfully, your dental professional can help!

Sleep apnea (a lack of oxygen) carries heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, diabetes, and sleep deprived driving accidents. Stroke is associated with obstructive sleep apnea as well, as sufferers have a 30% higher risk of heart attack or premature death than those unaffected. Risk factors can often be managed easily without major medical intervention. Being overweight or obese, nasal congestion or blockage and relaxed tongue/throat muscles often contribute to sleep apnea. Avoiding intake relaxants like alcohol or sedatives can play an important role in reducing the occurrence of sleep apnea.

There are three basic types of sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the only type of sleep apnea that can be treated by your dentist. Central Sleep Apnea is when a person’s brain “forgets” to signal the chest muscles to breathe during sleep. This variation of sleep apnea requires medication prescribed by your physician. Mixed Sleep Apnea is a combination of the preceding two types, and is the most difficult type of sleep apnea to diagnose and treat.

What can be done about sleep apnea – and how can your dentist play a role? The first step is diagnosis . Sleep apnea is diagnosed with a “sleep study”. An individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening, and is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body. Symptoms may be present for years without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.

Once a breathing problem during sleep has been established, there are two main routes of therapy for mild or moderate sleep apnea. The first is Oral Appliance Therapy, to reposition your lower jaw into a forward and downward position, opening up your throat, typically given by your dental care professional or physician. There are several designs from a simple diagnostic one to more sophisticate double jaw design. Your treating health professional will help to determine which would fit you better.

For more severe cases, the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device can help, which ’splints’ the patient’s airway open during sleep by means of forcing pressurized air into the throat. The CPAP machine assists only inhaling, whereas a BiPAP machine assists with both inhaling and exhaling and is used in more severe cases. Home remedies to treat sleep apnea include loose weight, treating allergy to decrease the volume of inflamed soft tissue of the airway, using a humidifier (in conjunction with the CPAP machine), trying a saline nasal spray before sleep.

If you have been diagnosed with OSA and think your dentist can help, be sure to bring your concerns to his or her attention.