Jul
While we all experience a terrible night of sleep occasionally, millions suffer from sleep apnea, which affects the quality of sleep night after night. If untreated, it can even put you at risk of health complications like heart disease, hypertension, and depression. If you suspect sleep apnea in Newport Beach, California, Balboa Island Dentistry can help.
When sleeping, your body goes through two crucial cycles several times at night, helping it heal and repair itself. Completing these cycles is vital to help your body get the much-needed rest.
When you have sleep apnea, you rarely get enough sleep. Sleep apnea causes pauses in breathing as you sleep, disrupting your sleep cycle. Although these stoppages happen for about 10 seconds, the episodes can occur up to a hundred times a night, depriving your body of oxygen and adequate rest.
Besides daytime fatigue, sleep apnea can result in other unpleasant symptoms, including:
There are several types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common type, occurs when your tongue and other soft tissues collapse and block your upper airway as you sleep. Central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs due to poor communication between the breathing muscles and the brain to ensure rhythmic breathing cycles. Complex sleep apnea is a combination of CSA and OSA.
Sleep apnea is diagnosed through a sleep study, either in a lab or at home. Once diagnosed with sleep apnea, treatment depends on its type and severity. Dr. Stephen Alfano treats mild to moderate OSA with a customized night guard. A dental guard keeps your jaw in proper alignment and prevents your soft tissues from collapsing, keeping your airway open throughout at night.
Alongside oral appliance therapy, we recommend weight reduction, exercises, and changing the sleeping position to manage sleep apnea. Our goal is to use comfortable and conservative treatments to treat sleep apnea. We only recommend CPAPs or oral surgery after exhausting our minimally invasive treatment options.
Although sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder, it can be effectively treated, allowing you to experience restful sleep and wake up feeling energized and ready to face the day.
For more information about sleep apnea treatment, please call (949) 673-7820 to book an appointment with Balboa Island Dentistry of Newport Beach, CA.