Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea Treatment To Help You Breathe Easier

A full night's sleep is essential to your overall health. If you are well-rested, you feel good and can function at your best. According to statistics, approximately 25 million adults in the United States suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, and more than three times that number snore. At the office of Dental Sleep Medicine of Northeast Florida, we provide the leading solutions in oral appliance therapy to help patients with obstructive sleep apnea enjoy a safe and uninterrupted night's sleep.

What Are Some of The Signs & Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder involving repeated pauses in breathing while asleep. The most common form of this condition is obstructive sleep apnea. It occurs when an obstruction of an individual's airway interferes with the flow of oxygen through the nose or mouth during sleep.

For people with obstructive sleep apnea, it isn't easy getting a restorative night's rest.

Typical signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include the following:

• Loud snoring
• Episodes of breathing cessation
• Abrupt awakening
• Gasping for air

In addition to sleep-time distress, daytime symptoms commonly associated with obstructive sleep apnea are morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and even automobile and workplace accidents. Furthermore, there's evidence to support a link between sleep apnea and other medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular and heart issues, obesity, gastric reflux, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression.

Oral Appliance therapy for a good night's sleep

In cases of suspected sleep apnea, a sleep study will establish the severity of the disorder. The results of this assessment and other medical findings help determine the appropriate therapy.

The gold-standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is a CPAP machine that is worn while sleeping. This device provides a steady stream of pressurized air into the respiratory system through a mask.

However, not all patients can tolerate a PAP machine. In such cases, an oral appliance is often prescribed as an effective alternative treatment. Readily worn in a similar fashion to a mouthguard or an orthodontic retainer, the appliance is designed to help keep the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat from collapsing, thereby enabling the airway to stay open during sleep.

Breathe easier at bedtime!

Remember, getting a good night's sleep can reduce your risk for a broad range of serious health conditions. To learn more about how the office of Dental Sleep Medicine of Northeast Florida can help alleviate your symptoms and improve the quality of your sleep, give us a call today.