Having a hard time catching a good night’s sleep? You are certainly not alone. The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that over 22 million Americans are affected by this disorder and over 80% of those persons suffer from a moderate or severe case.
How is Sleep Apnea Harmful
Sleep Apnea is incredibly dangerous. It can shorten your life and lead to a litany of other ailments including high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and heart failure. Beyond other cardiovascular issues, it contributes to drowsiness, depression, type 2 diabetes and obesity. It affects people of all ages, but predominantly affects men over 40 years old. One of the scariest realities about sleep apnea is that it’s often untreated and undiagnosed.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Excess weight and obesity most often cause sleep apnea. As you sleep, the tongue and throat muscles become relaxed and block the soft tissue located in your mouth and throat. As the soft tissue relaxes, it can block your airway and deprive you of oxygen.
How Can You Prevent Sleep Apnea?
Milder cases of sleep disorder can be turned around by changes in behavior. Shedding weight, cutting back on alcoholic beverages, quitting smoking and altering your sleep position can help reverse the symptoms.
How Can We Help?
Expressions family dentistry offers custom-made sleep Apnea mouth guard oral appliances to treat your symptoms. If you choose this route, it’s critical to go to a professional rather than purchase a generic, one-size fits all mouth guard. Just as you wouldn’t expect every dental retainer to align your teeth, an over the counter oral appliance won’t cure your sleep disorder. We’ll help you create a dental impression and create an FDA compliant device that fits properly. Plus, we’ll follow up with you over time to ensure that your device continues to work over time.Contact Expressions Family Dental today if you have any questions or to make an appointment.
Consider these facts about Sleep Disorders
- 1/4 of the U.S. population suffers from sleep disorders.
- 40 million individuals are chronic sufferers.
- Less than 10% have been diagnosed or treated to date.
- More than 40% of adults over 40 snore (87 million Americans).
- 24% of males and 18% of females suffer from snoring.
- 60% of males and 40% of females over the age of 60 snore (female snoring increases after menopause).