When you suffer from chronic fatigue all the coffee in the world isn’t enough to get you through the day! You start to feel sluggish after lunch, and by three o’clock it’s hard to even keep your eyes open. Sometimes you have to deal with a headache as well. How does this happen when you’ve had a full night’s rest? You may actually be suffering from sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder that keeps you from getting the rest that your body needs during the night. Here we’ll learn more about sleep apnea treatment in Mt. Holly.
What is Sleep Apnea?
When your breathing becomes obstructed it may cause you to snore loudly during the night. It also may cause you to wake up because your body isn’t getting enough oxygen throughout the night. This is when sleep apnea occurs. It causes you to wake up multiple, even hundreds of time per night although you probably don’t even realize it. Sleep apnea keeps your body from getting the rest it needs throughout the night, and your organs from getting the oxygen they need to replenish and recharge.
If left untreated, sleep apnea causes a host of symptoms and issues. It can contribute to weight gain, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and even heart failure. You also may find yourself waking up with headaches, irritability, low libido, and you may also have difficulty focusing and concentrating during the day.
How is Sleep Apnea Treated?
CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure therapy is the standard of care if you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea. This is a machine that blows constant pressurized air into your airway in order to keep it from collapsing during the night. You will wear a mask over your face that is attached to the machine, and run the machine continuously throughout the night. While the CPAP can achieve good results, many patients find it uncomfortable and hard to sleep with it on during the night.
There is another option that your dental provider can help you with, and that is an oral appliance, much like a retainer, that can be worn throughout the night. These appliances are designed to slightly position the jaw forward during the night in order to keep your airway open and you breathing freely and easily. Oral appliances are easy and comfortable to wear, and many patients achieve great results managing their sleep apnea with them.
At Mt. Holly Family Dentistry, our doctors have spent many hours learning about sleep apnea and how to help our patients effectively control it. Every patient is unique, which means that every oral appliance must be customized for his or her specific needs.
If you suspect that you or a loved one may suffer from sleep apnea, contact our office today to learn more about how we can help you. A good night’s rest is just a phone call away.