Out of around 936 million people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, more than 39 million are from the US. The condition is more prevalent in men than women. However, a lot of people who suffer from sleep apnea do not even realize it, as the symptoms might be very mild in the initial stage. Tennessee also witnesses thousands of sleep apnea cases every year.
However, if you or someone you know is experiencing the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, you can visit a Dental clinic Memphis, TN. Dental professionals can help you with countermeasures so that you can sleep better and lead a healthier and happier life.
Signs that you may have sleep apnea
Some common symptoms of sleep apnea are as follows:
- Excessive and loud snoring
- Feeling heavily sleepy during the daytime
- Stop breathing during sleep
- Waking up during the night experiencing choking or gasping
- Waking up in the morning having a sore throat or dry mouth
- Experiencing headaches in the morning
- Inability to focus throughout the day
- Depression, mood swings, or getting easily upset
- High blood pressure
- Decreased libido
While these are some common signs of sleep apnea, there may be other less common signs that may also indicate sleep apnea. Therefore, it is essential to consult your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Different types of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a medical condition when your breathing can stop and restart several times when you are asleep. Sleep apnea can prevent your body from getting a sufficient amount of oxygen. Therefore, you should see a doctor if you know that you snore a lot or gasp while sleeping, as it may indicate sleep apnea.
There are following two types of sleep apnea.
- Central sleep apnea: Central sleep apnea is when your brain fails to signal your body to breathe. It is a neurological problem. Since your brain does not send consistent signals to breathe, you stop breathing, so there is no snoring sound in central sleep apnea.
- Obstructive sleep apnea: The most common form of sleep apnea is OSA or obstructive sleep apnea. It occurs due to obstruction in the throat and mouth, like when the tongue falls against the soft palate, and the soft palate then falls against the throat along with the uvula while sleeping. When this happens, breathing becomes difficult and causes snoring as the soft palate and tongue rattle against each other.
Understanding how a dentist can help
While a positive airway pressure (PAP) machine can help patients with severe OSA symptoms breathe, it may not be suitable for those with mild or moderate OSA symptoms. In such cases, dental devices or oral appliances can come in very handy. The following are the three main categories of dental devices for OSA.
- Mandibular advancement device: A mandibular advancement device is made of molded hard plastic. It can snap over your upper and lower teeth and push your lower jaw forward with the help of hinges and screws featured in it. Some dentists even offer customized mandibular devices made to meet your requirements.
- Mouthguard: A mouthguard is used to reposition your lower jaw like a mandibular device. While some dentists offer customized mouth guards to fit your teeth impression, some recommend a readymade device that can be adjusted to your mouth size.
- Tongue retaining device: Tongue retaining devices have a soft plastic splint placed around your tongue to hold it forward throughout the night. However, they can be somewhat uncomfortable and make your mouth dry.
Final takeaway
A good dentist can help you effectively mitigate the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea with custom-made dental devices. Not only that, but they can also help you detect sleep apnea at an early stage and provide solutions to control the symptoms as early as possible. Therefore, if you snore or find breathing difficult during sleep, you should consider visiting a nearby dentist.
