Sleep Apnea in Frederick
It is estimated that 22 million Americans are affected by sleep apnea. What is sleep apnea? It is a sleep disorder in which your normal breathing pattern is interrupted. When your airway is blocked while you sleep you can stop breathing for somewhere between ten and twenty second at a time. This can persist throughout the night causing potentially hundreds of interruptions in your sleep cycle per night. This can lead to conditions such as heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and high blood pressure.
Common symptoms of sleep apnea can include loud snoring, grogginess during the day, and even depression. Frequently, people with sleep apnea awake multiple times during the night. It may not seem like a big deal when looked at over the span of one night, but when the cumulative effects of these waking events are taken into consideration it can amount to a tremendous impact on your health.
What can I do to prevent sleep apnea?
To know what can solve your sleep apnea issues it’s important to understand what causes it. Issues that are known to cause sleep apnea include:
- Excess weight
- Being male
- Smoking
- Nasal congestion
- Alcohol use
- Large neck circumference
- Family history of sleep apnea
- Sleeping on your back
If any of the above describe you, you are at risk for sleep apnea. Armed with that information you are given ways to fight sleep apnea. Things like smoking and being overweight are within your control and you can take measures to change them. For the factors you can’t control as easily, you can come to see us!
Sleeping styles are hard to change. If you aren’t awake to make changes to your habits, you can hardly be expected to control them. The issue with sleeping on your back is that your tongue has a tendency to fall into the back portion of your mouth which can block your airway.
One fix you might try is to elevate your head with a pillow or two. For people who sleep on their back and experience sleep apnea due to it we offer sleep appliances fitted to your needs, budget, and mouth.
Sleep Apnea Treatment with Colliver Dental in Frederick, MD
Moderate to Severe Sleep Apnea If you experience moderate to severe sleep apnea there are a few treatment options available. We offer an oral appliance that resembles a mouth guard that is worn while you sleep.
We craft the appliance after taking detailed measurements of your mouth and fitting it to your upper and lower jaw. The appliance is designed to keep your jaw in a position where your airway will stay open all night. This is a great alternative to a CPAP machine which can be costly and takes up space in your bedroom.
Sleep apnea can have a big impact on your life and often, people who suffer from it don’t even know they have it. If you have difficulty getting a good sleep please give us a call at (301) 662-5914 to schedule an appointment. We can offer advice to you to help you solve your problem whether you suffer from light or severe sleep apnea.