Snoring & Sleep Apnea

Snoring may sound funny . . . but it’s no laughing matter

We’ve all been around people who snore.  Sometimes it’s funny . . .  other times extremely annoying.  Some snores are soft and kind of cute . . . others are loud and obnoxious.

Snoring occurs when the airway through which we breathe becomes partially blocked.  When we try to breathe through a partially blocked airway, the throat vibrates to produce a sound that you and I know as snoring.  In some situations, snoring is annoying but its effect on health is minor . . . the body continues to get adequate amounts of oxygen.  However, snoring should always be cause for concern because it may be one of the signs of sleep apnea. 

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a very dangerous and potentially fatal condition in which people stop breathing throughout the night due to a completely obstructed airway . . . most of the time they don’t even know its happening.  Here’s the kicker, almost everyone with this extremely serious condition also snores.  If you or a loved one snores loudly, please have a sleep study done to rule out this potentially fatal condition.
                           
Obviously, people with this condition awake exhausted every morning . . . they’ve been fighting for oxygen all night long.  But exhaustion is the least of your worries if you suffer from sleep apnea. 

Other possible side effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea include:

• heart attack
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• impotence or erectile dysfunction
• decreased libido
• heartburn
• morning headaches
• dry mouth
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• impaired concentration
• depression
• anxiety
• irritability
• learning disabilities
• memory problems
• chronic sleepiness
• nodding off while on the phone, at work or behind the wheel of a car

The current standard medical treatment for sleep apnea is a positive pressure air system known as a CPAP.  The CPAP is bulky, noisy and uncomfortable to wear, so only a minority of CPAP owners still use them after one year.  In fact most people are not shy about telling you that they HATE their CPAP.

In our office, we treat snoring and sleep apnea with custom fitted dental appliances that are worn during sleep. These appliances keep your airway open and reduce the severity of your sleep apnea without the need for surgery, medications, or other therapies. We have seen a 96% success rate for snorers who wear these appliances. Of course, if you are one of those CPAP haters who no longer use the device, our custom dental appliance can serve as a CPAP alternative to reduce the risks associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

I know—we’ve all done it. We’ve either laughed at a loud snorer or forced them to live a life on the couch. Truth is . . . it’s not a laughing matter. So, whether your problem is snoring or a more serious sleep apnea problem, please call or schedule an appointment today to discuss your condition!