Dentists Offer CPAP Alternatives for Patients Suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea
You probably know that quality sleep is good for your health. But did you know that if you have sleep apnea, you can sleep for eight straight hours and still not wake up feeling refreshed? Sleep apnea is a severe sleep condition in which breathing stops for several episodes during sleep. Snoring is the classic symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but periodic oxygen deprivation may actually have bigger effects on your body.
If your chronic snoring is driving your partner to the sofa or a spare room, it’s time to do something about it. And you don’t have to go far for treatment. Your favorite dentist in Pembroke Pines, Florida, can help you combat sleep apnea without surgery. At Pines Dental Associates, we offer a simple, minimally invasive treatment to keep sleep apnea under control.
Obstructive sleep apnea explained
This sleep condition occurs when muscles at the back of your throat collapse, blocking your airway when you are sleeping. While the stoppages in breathing occur for only about 10 seconds at a time, these episodes can happen 100 times in a night!
When your brain notices your body isn’t getting enough oxygen, it kick-starts your breathing, which often resumes with a gasp. Worse yet, patients with obstructive sleep apnea usually don’t remember awakening, so they often don’t seek treatment.
Signs of sleep apnea
It can be challenging to spot sleep apnea symptoms because you are asleep when they occur. However, you can record yourself at night or ask your bed partner to observe your sleep patterns. While snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, most other symptoms occur because of low oxygen levels during sleep. These include:
- Morning headaches
- Daytime fatigue
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- Nighttime awakenings
If these symptoms sound familiar, you will be happy to learn that sleep apnea is treatable.
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Sleep apnea treatment
If you visit a medical practitioner for sleep apnea, the most obvious solution they will offer is a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. This machine works by piping pressurized air through your nose and mouth, keeping your throat open during sleep.
While a CPAP machine does the job effectively, users tend to have a love/hate relationship with CPAP treatment. Most patients don’t like CPAP machines because they:
- Can’t work without power
- Are cumbersome to carry around
- Are not effective for milder forms of sleep apnea
- Don’t work well with stuffy noses
- Require maintenance
If you can’t tolerate a CPAP machine, it doesn’t mean that you are out of options for sleep apnea treatment. Dr. Milton Ruiz offers oral appliance therapy to keep your sleep apnea under control. This treatment uses a custom-made dental device that shifts your jaw forward and depresses your tongue to keep your airway open throughout the night. This sleep apnea mouthpiece is comfortable, subtle, and doesn’t need power to operate.
Sleep apnea treatment in Pembroke Pines, Florida
Do you suspect that you have sleep apnea? Please seek treatment immediately to preserve your health. If you want to remember what a restful night’s sleep feels like, please dial (954) 715-4660 to book an appointment with Pines Dental Associates for obstructive sleep apnea treatment.
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