Sleep Apnea
Helping You Enjoy Your Sleep
Dr. Tad Morgan provides high quality treatment for sleep apnea. Keep reading to find out more about how sleep apnea treatment works and how we can help you find relief at long last.
Sleep apnea is a common condition affecting Americans today, with some estimates saying that 18 million adults are struggling with chronic fatigue and other symptoms brought on by sleep apnea.
Snoring is one sign of the sleep-disordered breathing, but many people who have sleep apnea do not snore or even have the common risk factors. If you are always tired or have difficulty sleeping soundly throughout the night, you may be one of the millions suffering from this common condition.
Dr. Tad Morgan provides high-quality treatment for sleep apnea. Keep reading to find out more about how sleep apnea treatment works and how we can help you find relief at last.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common sleep-breathing disorder, is caused by the tongue falling back into the throat, blocking the airway. In severe cases, the tongue can actually touch the back of the throat, causing complete obstruction. When this happens, the body goes through a series of involuntary reflexes to try and clear the airway. These reflexes include clenching the jaw, sucking in the stomach muscles and tensing the neck muscles. Unfortunately, these reflexes only work temporarily, and the person wakes up gasping for breath.
Anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing, but certain risk factors are associated with the condition, including:
- Being overweight or obese (the most significant risk factor)
- Age (over 55)
- Narrow airway
- Deviated septum
- Blocked sinuses
- Improper jaw position
- Certain medications that affect sleep
What Are the Warning Signs of Sleep-Disordered Breathing?
Because the symptoms closely resemble those of other conditions, sleep apnea may go mis- or undiagnosed for years. Learning about the warning signs of sleep apnea can help to ensure that you receive the treatment you need sooner rather than later. Left untreated, this condition can take a serious toll on your overall health — including heart attack, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even premature death.
The warning signs of sleep apnea include:
- Chronic snoring
- Frequent waking throughout the night (usually observed by a partner)
- Chronic fatigue or sleepiness even after a full night of sleep
- Nighttime teeth grinding
- Waking with a sore throat or dry mouth
- Insomnia
- Stipilled tongue
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Night terrors
- Frequent urination at night
- Headaches
- Breaking/fracturing teeth
- Night sweats
- Worn teeth
- Acid reflux
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, make sure you call Dr. Morgan to set up a sleep study with a sleep lab.
How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
The traditional treatment for sleep apnea has been with the CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine. It’s a mask you wear while you sleep, and it works by keeping the airway open by pumping the lungs with a steady stream of air. This method provides relief for many patients and is a perfect treatment for those who are able to tolerate the machine, while others may find it more disruptive than the original symptoms of sleep apnea. A custom oral appliance can provide a wonderful alternative to CPAP. This is a small device that is created according to your unique oral structures. It repositions your jaw to prevent its collapse and keep your airway clear during the night. Just like administering CPR, when you hold the chin forward, it opens the airway, and allows the patient to breathe. The oral appliance is small, portable, and, best of all, silent.
Find Relief for Sleep Apnea Today!
If you suspect or know are struggling with the exhausting effects of sleep apnea, please do not wait to seek treatment. Doing so could save your life. Dr. Morgan can help you enjoy the benefits of a full, restful night’s sleep once again — request an appointment today!
The Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)!
- Stroke: Men who suffer with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea are nearly three times more likely to have a stroke. The risk of stroke increases with the severity of the disease.
- Atrial fibrillation: With atrial fibrillation, a person has an irregular or rapid heart beat, which increases your chances for heart related complications, stroke or heart failure. People who are suffering with OSA are four times more likely to experience atrial fibrillation.
- Heart attack: OSA sufferers have a 30% higher risk of undergoing a heart attack or premature death.
- Mood disturbance: People who suffer from OSA may experience depression, anxiety, loss ot motivation, shortened attention span, moodiness, bad temper and poorer judgement.
- Daytime sleepiness: People who suffer from OSA have an increased risk for car accidents, impaired concentration and memory loss, reduced work efficiency, reduced work efficacy, and slower reaction time.
- Obesity: As sleep shortens or diminishes in quality, appetite for high-calorie food increases. Obesity is the best document risk factor of OSA.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): GERD is common or chronic reflux that can manifest itself with many signs and symptoms. Sixty-percent of OSA sufferers have GERD.
Get the Answers You Need about Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition that affects at least 22 million adults in the U.S. The sleep disorder causes you to stop breathing frequently throughout the night due to your soft tissues in the back of the mouth or throat collapsing to block the airways. If you have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea in Bullard, you likely have several questions. Dr. Tad Morgan has the answers you need to make the right decision for your overall health and your quality of life.
Loud, chronic snoring is the most prominent symptom; however, there are several others, like morning headaches, waking choking or gasping for air, and depression. You may even wake with a sore throat or often throughout the night to urinate. If you do not receive treatment right away, the symptoms can become more severe to include sleep deprivation or cardiovascular disease.
You must undergo a sleep study to receive a diagnosis. You are monitored while you sleep to gather important information, like your oxygen levels. Your sleep specialist evaluates the data to create a diagnosis and a customized treatment plan.
The most conventional treatment involves the use of a CPAP machine. A mask is worn over your mouth or nose while you sleep, which delivers a steady stream of air to keep your airways open. As an alternative, you may also benefit from an oral appliance. This is a custom-fit device that repositions your lower jaw forward to prevent your airways from collapsing.
Your treatment plan is determined by your individual needs. An oral appliance has shown to be effective for treating mild to moderate cases of the condition, whereas, a CPAP can be used for all severities. In some instances, you may require a combination of both treatments.
Dry mouth is a common problem with sleep apnea because it causes snoring; however, the issue can also be due to the CPAP machine. This can lead to a sore throat or nasal congestion. There are several home remedies that can help to solve the problem, like using a nasal mask, wearing a chinstrap, or using a humidifier in your bedroom.
Leaving the condition untreated can have potentially deadly consequences. The lack of proper oxygen and sleep quality increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and sleep deprivation.
Sleep apnea can occur in anyone; however, there are certain factors that increase your likeliness for developing it, such as obesity, age, enlarges tonsils or adenoids, smoking, a large neck circumference, and genetics.
To breathe easier so you can sleep soundly, you need to schedule an appointment with your dentist in Bullard. Dr. Morgan has the solutions you need for sleep apnea. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation.
How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
A doctor will perform an overnight test to collect important information, including your oxygen level. He or she will evaluate the results to create a diagnosis and customize a treatment plan for you as part of your sleep apnea testing.
Get Treatment Now
To breathe easier so that you can sleep soundly at night, you should make an appointment with your dentist. At Dr. Morgan’s practice, we offer dental services designed to help you breathe better during the day and rest peacefully at night.
Whether you are showing some signs of sleep apnea or you’ve already been diagnosed, you may have questions. Dr. Tad Morgan can help answer those questions and provide you with the information you need to make an informed choice regarding your treatment options.
Call us today to set up an appointment.
