Sleep Apnea: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Los Angeles, CA
Sleep Apnea Sufferers Can Find Relief With A Simple Dental Device
Sleep apnea afflicts more than one in five adults, though many sleep apnea sufferers don’t even know they have it, despite its main symptom being loud snoring. Middle-aged adults are especially likely to experience undiagnosed moderate to severe sleep apnea. This condition not only interferes with the patients’ sound sleep but the resultant snoring can keep their partner awake too.
Expert Sleep Apnea Clinic in Los Angeles
OTHER SIGNS OF SLEEP APNEA CAN INCLUDE:
- Insomnia
- Frequent need to urinate during the night
- Migraine headaches in the morning
- Waking with a “choking” sensation, “cotton mouth,” or a sore throat
- Inability to concentrate and poor memory
- Drowsiness during the day
- Depression, anxiety, or irritability
- Reduced reaction time
Sleep apnea can also be a factor in the risk of diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, erectile dysfunction, and lowered sex drive. It impairs driving ability to the point that it can cause car accidents.
What is Sleep Apnea?
An apnea is a pause for one or more breaths, which can last as long as 90 seconds or occur as many as 100 times an hour, depriving the body of the oxygen needed to regenerate cells. There are two types of sleep apnea and some people have both:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common type and is due to a physical blockage of the airway. The lung muscles work properly, but the blockage is due to the tongue or increased soft tissue in the upper throat that has collapsed when the throat muscles relax during sleep.
- Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) is due to a lack of respiratory effort when the brain fails to transmit proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
The body’s reaction to both types is to get more oxygen by partially waking up and gasping for air, which can happen 10 to 100 times an hour, disrupting sleep. The sufferer goes back to sleep briefly, unaware of what happened.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
The conventional medical treatment is for the patient to wear a device called a CPAP, which involves wearing a mask and lying on your back all night. CPAP treatment is effective, but the downside is that it’s expensive and the device takes work to maintain, since it must be regularly cleaned.
Fortunately, Wilshire Smile Studio has experts who can provide more comfortable and less expensive alternatives. CSA usually requires a prescription, which our dentists can write, for a drug to manage the symptoms. OSA may need surgery, which can be performed by our oral surgeon.
Both types can benefit from a dental appliance that is like a custom-made mouth guard, which helps keep the jaw in a position to prevent apneas. This is usually covered by Medicare and insurance plans.
You deserve to have restful sleep night after night, and if sleep apnea is the problem, there are treatments available to ease your discomfort. Good sleep is essential to overall health, so sleep apnea should be addressed immediately. For a diagnosis and consultation for sleep apnea treatment in Los Angeles, call 323-DENTIST (336-8478).
Sleep apnea treatment consists of various options to improve breathing during sleep and reduce the associated symptoms, such as loud snoring, daytime fatigue, and disrupted sleep. Treatment for sleep apnea can range from lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and avoiding alcohol and sedatives, to more advanced treatments, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy or oral appliances.
Dentists play a critical role in sleep apnea treatment, particularly in cases where oral appliances are used. Oral appliances are custom-made devices worn during sleep to keep the airway open and prevent the collapse of the soft tissues in the throat that cause sleep apnea. Dentists specializing in sleep apnea treatment evaluate patients to determine the best oral appliance for their needs. They will consider factors such as the severity of sleep apnea, the patient’s jaw and tooth structure, and other underlying dental or medical conditions. Once an oral appliance has been prescribed, the dentist will work closely with the patient to ensure a proper fit and monitor the appliance’s effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea.