Have you been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and have not been able to use your prescribed CPAP? Then it’s time to visit Long Island Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry. We can help stop your snoring and improve your health, once and for all.
Suffolk County dentists treat Sleep Apnea
Does your snoring or your partner’s snoring keep you both up late at night? Most people think that snoring is simply an annoyance and nothing more. However, loud and persistent snoring can be a symptom of serious health problems. Read on to learn more about the causes of sleep apnea and how a visit to your local general dentist here in Rocky Point, New York can help you stop snoring, sleep better, and improve your health.
Understanding sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially fatal sleep disorder that is a result of repeated pauses in breathing. The pauses in breathing can last from half a minute to over a minute, and can occur forty or more times per hour. Sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax on to each other and the airway constricts. When the airway is constricted, you oxygen levels are lowered and your brain senses this lowered oxygen resulting in the patient waking up to resume normal breathing. Because the periods of lowered oxygen can occur hundreds of times per night it is impossible for your body to obtain a restful nights sleep.
Certain risk factors make more people prone to obstructive sleep apnea such as:
- Excess weight
- Male gender
- Age of 40+
- Smoking
- Enlarged tonsils
- Family history
- Nasal congestion
- Use of alcohol or sedatives
- Thicker neck circumference (16” for women, 17” for men)
Sleep apnea patients have a much higher risk for further health problems including:
- Chronic fatigue
- Congestive heart failure
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Premature skin aging
- Stroke
“Untreated severe apnea can take 10 to 15 years off someone’s life,” Cleveland sleep medicine expert Joseph Golish told USA Today.
About half of the 90 million Americans who snore have a serious sleep disorder. Obstructive Sleep Apnea sufferers always have a roaring snore, but snorers do not necessarily have sleep apnea. Treatments for snoring range from weight loss, decreasing alcohol consumption and changing sleep position, to oral devices, nasal strips, and surgery. At LI Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry, our preferred method of treatment is the use of an oral appliance, custom fitted and made for your mouth.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea
The symptoms of sleep apnea are many and include:
- Snoring
- Waking up choking or gasping
- Waking up with a sore or dry throat
- Feeling tired or sleepy during day
- Lack of energy during day
- Feeling sleepy while driving
- Restless sleep
- Decreased interest in sex
- Forgetful
- Mood changes
- Headaches in the morning
Sleep Apnea self-assessment
Answer these 12 “Yes” or “No” questions to help determine whether you are suffering from sleep apnea.
1.You snore loudly most/every night
2. You sometimes/often wake up at night with a choking feeling
3. You wake up suddenly at night with a choking feeling
4. Your sleep partner says you snort, choke, gasp, or hold your breath while sleeping
5. You often wake up with a dry throat/mouth
6. You often wake up with a headache
7. You regularly feel exhausted even after a full nights sleep
8. You have high blood pressure
9. You are overweight
10. You sometimes/often experience irregular heartbeats
11. You have trouble with concentration and memory
12. You are frequently bad tempered, moody or irritable
If you answered “yes” to six or more of the above questions, there is a strong possibility that you have a form of sleep apnea. The first four questions are serious indications of the disorder. If you answered “yes” to two or more of those questions, it is extremely likely that you are experiencing sleep apnea and should be evaluated by a specialist to get help.
Get a more restful night’s sleep with Long Island Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry
Long Island Implant and Cosmetic Dentistry’s Dr. Elliot and Dr. Nick are leaders in sleep apnea treatment. Our highly skilled Suffolk County dentists offer the most high-tech equipment to make your visits more productive.
They sympathize with your desire to stop snoring and will provide you with a snoring cure that is not only effective, but affordable and easy to use. Call 631-246-4992 to make an appointment today.
