Sleep Apnea Treatment Can End Daytime Tiredness and Snoring

Snoring? It May Be More Than You Think.

Are you struggling to wake up in the mornings, feeling more tired than you did when you went to sleep the night before? Find yourself waking up choking or gasping for air? These and the following symptoms may be indications that you have obstructive sleep apnea:

• Chronic headaches
• Feeling drowsy throughout the day
• Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
• Insomnia, or difficulty staying asleep
• Irritability or inability to focus

Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that causes the airway to collapse while you sleep, resulting in restless nights and disrupted sleep patterns. In fact, many patients can briefly stop breathing hundreds of times within an hour – without even knowing it.

Unfortunately, because the key symptoms are only prominent at night, most cases of moderate to severe sleep apnea go untreated. But this serious medical condition poses greater health risks than just lost sleep:

• Higher risk of stroke
• Heart failure
• Diabetes
• Depression

If you have a family history of the condition, are male, overweight, or smoke, you may be at a higher risk of sleep apnea. If you believe you may be experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, contact a medical professional immediately to discuss your concerns.

• Home Sleep Studies During a home sleep study a portable device will be used to measure your level of airflow and respiratory effort while you sleep to help us determine whether you may have sleep apnea.
• Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) CBCT helps in the diagnosis of sleep apnea by taking a 3D scan of your mouth. This scan allows Dr. Jones to see if there are any dental concerns, such as a bite misalignment, that may be causing the airway to collapse during sleep.
• Oral Appliances Oral appliances for sleep apnea are similar to bite guards, and work to prevent the airway from collapsing or becoming obstructed by holding the jaw and tongue in a desirable forward position.