Do you wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air? Does your partner complain that your snoring rattles the house and keeps your children and pets awake? You are in good company with a significant portion of the world’s population. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may affect as many as 1 billion people worldwide. Yours isn’t the only household engaging in these conversations.
Some of the complications of sleep apnea include:
- Daytime drowsiness
- Arrhythmias
- Heart damage and heart failure
- Worsening of chronic conditions
What is Sleep Apnea
Many of us know that sleep apnea causes loud snoring and interrupted sleep, but what is actually happening to cause these nighttime disturbances? OSA is a condition in which your airway is blocked or narrowed during sleep. This keeps air from moving naturally through your windpipe like it’s supposed to. The lack of air makes your blood oxygen levels drop and triggers a reflex. Your brain is basically yelling, “Help, I need air!” This makes you wake up and start breathing again. Which is necessary, but also very disruptive to sleep.
When you are waking up throughout the night, you don’t feel rested in the morning. This dynamic can cause several symptoms that impact your daily life. Eventually, these symptoms can become dangerous to your overall health. Fortunately, there are treatment options.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options in Arlington
At Clarendon Family Dentistry, Dr. Mooney will team up with your primary care doctor or sleep physician to build a custom treatment plan. The most commonly used solution for sleep apnea is a CPAP device, but many people find it uncomfortable to sleep with.
For people with mild or moderate OSA, simple dental appliances may offer a solution. We create customized devices that work kind of like mouthguards. They fit over your upper and lower teeth and are worn while you sleep. They slightly reposition your lower jaw to keep your tongue and soft tissue from obstructing your breathing while you sleep.
These devices are simple, but have to be prescribed by a medical doctor. We’ll work with your doctor or sleep physician to get approval, and then create a custom device for you.
Call For a Sleep Apnea Consultation
If you’ve been waking up gasping for air, feeling sluggish during the day, or hearing household complaints about your snoring, consider giving us a call for a sleep apnea consultation. We can be reached at (703) 522-8894, or you can schedule an appointment online.