For years, you’ve listened to the complaints of your partner. Your snoring keeps them awake every night. It’s not bothering you, though, so what’s the problem? The problem is that snoring is the most common sign of something potentially dangerous, even deadly. What does snoring have to do with anything?
Your First Warning Sign
Those wall-shaking snores are your first warning sign of obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. OSA occurs when the airway is obstructed during sleep; during these apneic moments, you literally stop breathing for seconds at a time. This occurs multiple times every night, each time depleting the blood of the oxygen it needs to sustain your body.
The Other Signs
If you’ve been told that you snore, you might want to pay attention to the other symptoms that you could be displaying. Other OSA symptoms include:
- Waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth
- Waking up with a headache
- Excessive daytime drowsiness
- Unexplained mood changes
- Waking up gasping for air
Why It’s Dangerous
Obstructive sleep apnea is bad enough in and of itself; just look at the symptoms above! The real problem is that it increases your risk of a number of dangerous conditions, including:
- Hypertension and stroke
- Heart disease and heart attack
- Diabetes
- Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety
- Increased risk of accidents while at work, in the car, or at home
I Can Help
Luckily, sleep apnea can be treated. The most well-known treatment is a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, but that’s not your only option. Once you’ve been diagnosed with OSA, I can create a customized oral appliance that will correct the particular problem that is causing your apnea. The benefits of using an oral appliance are that they are small, portable, and easy to clean. Most importantly, they can let you get the restful night’s sleep that your body needs to function at its best.
If you have any reason to suspect that you have OSA, don’t wait another day to seek treatment. Something as simple as an oral appliance can reduce your risk of a number of harmful diseases. Contact my office today to schedule a consultation.
