A good night’s sleep can make the difference between a fantastic, productive day and a day where all you want to do is hang out on your sofa and watch TV. However, the benefits of getting enough rest go even further than that. If your routine includes enough shuteye, you’ll be less likely to suffer from a range of serious diseases. But what if you always go to bed at a reasonable hour and you still find that you’re tired? You might be suffering from sleep apnea in Gahanna. How can you tell if you’re a victim of this disorder?
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form of sleep apnea, afflicting millions of people across the United States and across the world. It occurs when some of the soft tissues in your mouth, such as your tongue, block your airway. This makes it difficult for air to reach your lungs, and you temporarily stop breathing.
If you sleep with a partner, they might tell you that you snore loudly or that you sometimes gasp for air or jerk around in your sleep; these are a couple major indicators of sleep apnea. However, if you sleep by yourself, you’ll have to be alert for other signs of this condition, including:
- You’re often very sleepy or tired throughout the day.
- You wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat.
- It is difficult for you to concentrate,
- You experience mood swings.
- You wake up suddenly, and you feel like you’re choking.
- You frequently wake up with a headache.
Could It Be Something Else?
Snoring doesn’t always indicate sleep apnea. It could be due to a temporary condition, such as a cold that obstructs airflow in your nasal passages. It might also occur because of a large tongue or other conditions that partially block your airway and cause vibrations that create sound.
However, you shouldn’t assume that your snoring is harmless. If your partner complains that you’re a little noisy when you sleep, it’s worth talking to a doctor about the possibility of OSA. To confirm the diagnosis, you might have to spend a night in a sleep lab or take home a sleep monitoring machine that will keep track of your breathing as you catch some Zs.
Breathe Easy Again!
If you discover that you have OSA, you have a few treatment options in front of you. Oftentimes, a simple oral appliance designed by your dentist in Gahanna will help you rest better at night. The custom device will gently reposition your jaw to prevent airway obstruction. Right away, you may start to notice that you feel more alert and less stressed during the day.
Are your feet dragging lately? The cause might be OSA. Fortunately, your physician and dentist can help you once again get the most out of your time in dreamland.
About Our Practice
Claybrooke Dental of Gahanna has a team that is skilled at crafting custom oral appliances to treat sleep apnea. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with this condition, contact our office at 614-475-1874 to learn more about how you can start to breathe easier at night.