Sleep Apnea In Encino, CA
While many people often joke that they do not need that much sleep to function properly, the truth is that sleep is an important process. Sleep is restorative, allowing your mind and your body to rest and recover so that you can function at your best every day. If you do not sleep well, you may feel incredibly exhausted, and it can interfere with how well you function. Everyone has the occasional poor night of sleep. For millions of Americans, however, poor sleep is a reality every single day. This is a condition known as sleep apnea. Encino Cosmetic Dentistry can help.
What is Sleep Apnea?As you sleep, your body goes through two different cycles. It repeats these cycles several times, allowing your mind and body to rest and repair. Sleep apnea is a condition that affects your sleep. When you have this condition, you briefly stop breathing. This pause in breathing triggers your brain to partially wake you up so that you can start breathing again. This happens anywhere from as little as 5 to as many as more than 30 times per sleeping hour.
Every time you stop breathing, your body wakes up again, although you are not aware that it is happening. Every time you fall back to sleep, your body starts the sleep cycles all over again. As a result, you are never able to complete all of your sleep cycles, leaving you feeling physically and mentally exhausted.
What are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?Waking up tired is just one symptom of sleep apnea. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include: | • |
Snoring. This is often reported by a partner.
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Waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth.
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Excessive daytime sleepiness.
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Difficulty concentrating, even on important tasks.
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Falling asleep during the day. You may even fall asleep while at work or while driving.
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Feeling irritable or having trouble controlling other emotions. |
As sleep apnea continues untreated, you may start to develop health issues as well. Untreated, sleep apnea can lead to issues such as: | • |
Hypertension, or high blood pressure.
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Heart disease.
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Diabetes.
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Low blood oxygen levels. |
How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?To diagnose sleep apnea, a sleep study is needed. A sleep study, which is typically done in a sleep lab, requires you to be hooked up to computers while you sleep. The computers monitor many different things, including your breathing, vitals, and muscle activity. A sleep study can also be done at home. This version is a more modified one than the type performed in a sleep lab and a sleep lab study may still be required. After you wake up, a sleep specialist reads the recorded information and can make a diagnosis of sleep apnea or other sleep-related disorder. The specialist can also recommend treatment.
What are the Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea?There are a few different treatment options available for sleep apnea. These include: | • |
Weight loss.
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C-PAP. This is a device that delivers a continuous flow of air through a small mask worn over your nose to keep your airway open.
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Oral appliance therapy. A specially made oral appliance can help to keep your jaws in proper alignment, preventing the lower jaw, and oral tissues, from sliding back. This aids in keeping the airway open.
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Oral surgery. In more severe cases, oral surgery may be required. There are procedures that involve removing excess tissue or those that require moving your jaws forward. If surgery is necessary, we will determine the best one to meet your needs. |
If you wake up day after day feeling utterly exhausted, there is help. For more information about sleep apnea, and to find out how we can help, call Encino Cosmetic Dentistry today at (818) 783-0408. |
