For A Better Night’s Rest
Often, we think of snoring as an irritating sound people make in their sleep. However, it can be a sign of a serious condition and should not be ignored. Sleep apnea is a common breathing disorder that affects many people. It can leave you feeling exhausted, and have huge impacts on your overall health.
The good news is, for help with sleep apnea in Ballarat, we have you covered. Our experienced dentists at Dana Street Dental offer sleep apnea treatment to help you get a restful night’s sleep.
What is Sleep Apnea?
In a nutshell, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is induced by narrowing or partial closure of your airway whilst you sleep.
Excessive muscle relaxation is responsible for this narrowing of your airway. The soft tissue at the back of your throat begins to sag, as the muscle tone reduces during your sleep. The resultant obstruction leads to snoring. If the airway fully closes, you will wake up due to the lack of oxygen. This can occur many times through the night, leading to very poor quality of sleep.
Sleep apnoea does more than leave you feeling groggy and lacking in energy. Left untreated, it can contribute to serious health issues, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. There is an association worth noting between sleep apnoea and temporomandibular joint disorder, as clenching/grinding is common during an apnoea episode.
Causes and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
It can be hard, if not impossible, to diagnose sleep apnea yourself. There is no single cause responsible for this condition and it may present with many symptoms (or none at all). If you have reason to believe you suffer from sleep apnea, we can help! Here are some of the common causes and symptoms of sleep apnea to be aware of:
Causes
- Your anatomy (size and positioning of your jaw, neck, tonsils, tongue and other soft tissues in your mouth)
- Obesity
- Some medications (especially sedatives)
- Drinking alcohol
- Smoking
- Having the condition run in your family
- Congestion
- Sleeping on your back
- Thyroid issues
Symptoms
- Chronic snoring (this can include gasping, snorting and other choking like sounds)
- Laboured or stopped breathing for periods of up to a minute
- Excessive daytime tiredness
- Lack of focus/limited attention span
- Grogginess and irritability
- Headaches (especially in the morning)
- Frequent sore throats
- Very dry mouth in the morning
Treating Your Sleep Apnea
As mentioned, sleep apnea can have long term effects on your health and quality of life. At Dana Street Dental, our aim for all of our patients is to live their best life and smile their best smile.
The first avenue to explore when it comes to treating sleep apnea is, of course, making some changes to your lifestyle. These may include doing more exercise to shed a few kg’s or keeping tabs on your alcohol consumption, for example.
Our experienced Ballarat dentists can work in conjunction with your sleep physician to organise a sleep study for you. A sleep study can help determine if you have sleep apnea, how severe it is, and what treatment would be best for you.
Depending on the results of your sleep study, we may be able to offer you some relief with:
A Mandibular Advancement Splint
