The Dangers of Untreated Sleep Apnea

Our bodies need quality sleep to function. Unfortunately, there are many factors and conditions that can disrupt a good night’s sleep. One of the most serious threats is sleep apnea. While you may be unaware of your loud snoring or frequent gasps for air during the night, your sleep apnea condition can wreak major havoc to your quality of life and overall health.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent pauses in breathing through the night as the airway gets obstructed. It is common for patients to also snore loudly and wake up nearly hundreds of times a night gasping for air when their brain signals the body that it is not breathing properly. Unfortunately, you may not realize you are waking up throughout the night if you have sleep apnea, but your sleep condition will still produce consequences during the day.

How Sleep Apnea Can Threaten Your Health and Quality of Life

Again, our bodies need a certain amount of quality sleep each night. For someone who has sleep apnea, this is hardly the case. The poor quality of sleep and frequent episodes of breathing cessations can cause the following disruptions:

  • Trouble Concentrating
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Drowsy driving and Daytime Fatigue
  • Glaucoma
  • Heart attack
  • High blood pressure
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Mood disturbances
  • Stroke
  • Weight gain/obesity

The dangers of untreated sleep apnea go far beyond feeling a little groggy the next day. For the sake of your health and well-being, it is important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Treating Sleep Apnea at Your Dental Office

The most traditional way to treat sleep apnea is with the use of a CPAP machine. However, these devices can be quite bulky, inconvenient and uncomfortable to sleep with. The good news is that your dentist can offer another solution. At Montevallo Family Dentistry, we proudly offer oral appliance therapy that is FDA-approved to treat snoring and sleep apnea. These custom mouthpieces can position the jaw in a way that keeps the airway open and eliminates or greatly minimizes sleep apnea episodes. Best of all, oral appliance therapy is superior in comfort and convenient.

To learn more about how a dentist in Montevallo can treat your sleep apnea, call Montevallo Family Dentistry today. Fostering healthy smiles can also mean helping you sleep better!

Posted on behalf of Montevallo Family Dentistry