Snoring Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea treatment can change your life. You will have more energy, won’t feel sleepy in the middle of the day and most importantly you will not be choking for air while you are sleeping – a condition that can be fatal without the right obstructive sleep apnoea treatment and snoring apparatus.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?
A number of sleep apnoea types exist, but obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in your throat become relaxed and temporarily block your airways. Snoring is one of the major signs of obstructive sleep apnea.
In order to pull in air, your chest muscles and diaphragm must work harder. This causes you to breathe more shallowly or stop breathing temporarily. As you breathe again, you usually snort, gasp, or jerk your body. Even though you are not sleeping well, you might not even be aware of it. A condition such as this can also cause low oxygen levels in the body and irregular heart rhythms.
These are some of the other warning signs and effects of severe sleep apnea:
- You may feel tired during the day.
- When you wake up, you may have a sore throat or dry mouth.
- You may also have headaches.
- You may be forgetful, depressed, or cranky.
- Sex issues, such as low sex drive.
- Suddenly waking up feeling that you're choking or gasping for air.
- Having difficulty waking up in the morning.
- Awaking often to go to the bathroom at night.
- Blood pressure that is too high.
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
What Causes Snoring?
While dozing off and progressing into a deep sleep, the muscles in your tongue, throat, and roof of your mouth relax. In some cases, your throat tissues can relax to the point where they partially block and vibrate your airways.
Airflow becomes more forceful as your airway narrows. Your snoring becomes louder as a result of increased tissue vibration.
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea causes can include:
- The anatomy of your mouth: You may have a narrow airway if your soft palate is low and thick. Overweight people often have extra tissue at the back of their throats which can narrow their airways. Elongated soft palate tissue (uvula) can also hinder airflow, causing vibrations.
- Heavy alcohol use: Drinking too much alcohol before bed can also cause snoring. You are less protected against airway obstruction when you drink alcohol since it relaxes your throat muscles.
- Your nasal passages become blocked: A crooked or deviated nasal septum can contribute to snoring if you suffer from chronic nasal congestion.
- Having difficulty sleeping: Sleep deprivation can exacerbate throat relaxation.
- The position you sleep in: As gravity narrows the airway, snoring is more common and louder when you sleep on your back.
What Happens In Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment?
There is no obstructive sleep apnea cure but you can work with our specialists at Focus Dental for sleep apnoea treatment options in Blackburn.
If you snore or have mild to moderate forms of sleep apnoea, please ask for a sleep apnoea or snoring consultation, so that we can examine your specific needs and determine sleep apnoea treatment options. We will work with sleep medicine specialists (and other specialists) in collaboration with our dentist, in order to diagnose the cause of your problem, which is crucial. We are dedicated to helping you understand the treatment options available to you and helping you get a clear diagnosis.
As a preferred treatment after diagnosis, dental snoring apparatus are sometimes prescribed, especially if you suffer from snoring or mild sleep apnoea.
Mandibular Advancement Splints (MAS) can help people with mild snoring and sleep apnea. To open your airway and cause less obstruction, your lower jaw needs to be pushed forward. Wearing the MAS at night is like wearing a mouthguard. During the day, the device is not to be worn – it can simply be put in your mouth before bed.
A CPAP machine is the gold standard of severe sleep apnea treatment.
At Focus Dental we can also assist with pediatric sleep apnea treatment. School performance is often poor and attention and behavioural issues are common in children with OSA. Pediatric sleep apnea treatment will make an enormous difference to your child’s quality of sleep and overall health. This can begin quite early too, which is why infant apnea treatment is important as well.
If you, your partner or your child are showing obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms then it is important to book snoring treatment at our Blackburn clinic.
We also provide other dental services like dental emergency, orthodontics treatment, pediatric dental care, dental implant and teeth whitening. Browse our website for any dental treatment.