How many times have you heard someone joke about preceding sleep to get different tasks done? While sleep is often seen as unimportant, it is essential. Sleep is a restorative process. As you sleep, your body can rest and repair so that you can function during the day. While everyone has a bad night of sleep every now and again, there are millions of Americans who wake up feeling exhausted every single day. If this sounds familiar, you may be living with a condition called sleep apnea. Davis Dental Practice can help.
What is Sleep Apnea?
As you sleep, your body goes through two different cycles. These cycles alternate several times during the course of the night. They function to rest and repair your body physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sleep apnea is a condition that affects your sleep. With this condition, you stop breathing for several seconds, which causes your body to partially wake up so that your breathing can be restarted.
With sleep apnea, this happens several times a night, generally anywhere from 5 times per sleeping hour to as many as 30 or more times per hour. Every time you stop breathing you wake up, and you are typically unaware of it. When you fall asleep again, your sleep cycles restart from the beginning. Waking up so many times each night, your body cannot get the rest it needs, leaving you feeling incredibly exhausted in every morning.
There are two different types of sleep apnea, obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. It occurs when your airway becomes blocked. This can happen for several reasons. Your tongue or other oral tissues may fall into your throat while you sleep because your lower jaw falls back or you may have excess tissue around your airway.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Waking up exhausted morning after morning is only one symptom of sleep apnea. There are other symptoms that may present themselves as well. These symptoms include:
| • | Snoring. |
| • | A sore or dry throat upon waking up. |
| • | Headaches when you wake up. |
| • | Excessive daytime sleepiness. |
| • | Trouble staying awake. |
| • | Difficulty concentrating. |
| • | Irritability. |
The longer sleep apnea goes untreated, the worse the effects become. You may also eventually develop serious health issues as well, including:
| • | Hypertension. |
| • | Heart disease. |
| • | Stroke. |
| • | Diabetes. |
| • | Low blood oxygen levels. |
Sleep Apnea Treatments
Sleep apnea requires treatment. There are many different treatments available. These include:
| • | Weight loss. |
| • | C-PAP. |
| • | Oral appliance therapy. |
| • | Oral surgery. |
Surgical Treatments for Sleep Apnea
There are a variety of surgical options for treating sleep apnea. Based on an oral examination, we can determine if surgery is necessary, and which treatment will provide you with the best results.
| • | Nasal surgery. This procedure is performed to remove obstructions in your nose. |
| • | UUUP. A uvulopalatalpharyngoplasty is a procedure that involves removing excess tissue from the soft palate and pharynx. If still present, the tonsils are also removed during this procedure. It is one of the most common surgical procedures for treating sleep apnea. |
| • | Tongue advancement. This procedure involves advancing one of the main muscles in your tongue, the genioglossus muscle, to keep the tongue out of your airway. |
| • | Hyoid advancement. This procedure involves moving the hyoid bone, which is located in the neck where the tongue and pharynx meet. This works to open the airway, preventing collapse. |
| • | Lower jaw advancement. With this procedure, your lower jaw is repositioned to enlarge the airway. |
| • | Tracheostomy. With this treatment, a passageway is made into the trachea to bypass the obstructions in the upper airway. This treatment is generally reserved for severe situations. |
Learn More About Sleep Apnea
Treating sleep apnea can help you to finally get the sleep you need, allowing you to wake up rested and giving you the energy you need to perform your daily tasks. For more information on sleep apnea, call Davis Dental Practice today at (530) 756-5300.
