The importance of sleep cannot be underemphasized. Everybody wants to enjoy the benefits, but sometimes this might not be possible. You may have trouble sleeping, and this may cause serious problems affecting the quality of your life. Sleep apnea can cause daytime fatigue, lack of concentration, and loss of memory. It can also pose the risk of a stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Perfect Smiles Dentistry is a general and cosmetic dentistry clinic, devoted to treating sleep apnea in Everett. Dr. Kavitha Gowda, DDS, is devoted to ending the complications related to sleep apnea by offering competence skills with expertise through an effective treatment plan.
Sleep apnea can be central, obstructive, or complex. The difference is that central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to signal breathing muscles properly, while obstructive is associated with throat muscle relaxations during sleep. A combination of primary and obstructive sleep apnea results in the complex sleep apnea.
How to know you have sleep apnea
It is best if sleep apnea is detected early. This is because it can cause severe risks and complications if not timely reported. Regardless of the type of sleep apnea, the symptoms are the same and include:
- Intermittent breathing during sleep
- Loud snoring
- Restlessness
- Morning headaches
- Choking
- Attention span reduction
- Sexual dysfunction
If you experience such symptoms or are not sure, you can seek Dr. Gowda’s experience and the appropriate diagnosis can be made.
Dr. Gowda can examine you to reveal the causes of sleep apnea. It helps in the determination of the best treatment procedure suitable for your condition. Alcohol, tobacco, weight, or sedative overuse are potential threats to your healthy sleep. Narrow airways, nasal congestion, or a thick neck can cause sleep apnea as well.
How sleep apnea is treated
At Perfect Smile Dentistry, a team member clears your medical history to proceed with the treatment. From examination results, a treatment procedure is recommended and can be one of the following:
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). It is most accessible to treating obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP device is worn every night to provide a powerful positive flow of air that keeps your airway open.
Use of oral appliances. If you can’t sleep with a CPAP device, easy to use oral appliances can be recommended. The instruments hold your tongue in a position to prevent airway blockage. They can also press the upper jaw on a forward position to keep the airway open.
Supplemental oxygen therapy. Extra oxygen can be provided for your breathing.
Nasal allergy treatment.
Surgery. It is only recommended in severe conditions and may include jaw repositioning surgery or tracheostomy.
Besides these conventional treatments, there are simple home remedies that can help in treating sleep apnea. Most of them involve lifestyle changes and include maintaining a healthy weight, yoga, altering sleep positions, and avoiding alcohol and smoking, especially by not using them before sleeping. However, such should come under the guidance of a specialist to ensure you do what is right for you.
You can contact Perfect Smiles Dentistry for more information about sleep apnea treatment, and schedule a consultation to discuss your symptoms. This will help you know what options are best for you.