Enjoy Comfortable, Restful Sleep And Productive Days
If you feel fatigued throughout your day and frequently snore, sleep apnea may affect your quality of life. This sleep disorder often remains undetected because the telltale episode occurs during sleep. Patients commonly rely on the reports of a significant other who witnesses sleep apnea events as the catalyst to seek treatment. Fortunately, Dr. Richards provides patients with thorough exams, during which he will ask a comprehensive series of questions about your health. If he finds you suffer from excessive snoring and other common symptoms of sleep apnea, he may suggest sleep apnea treatment, so you can quickly return to comfortable, solid nights of rest.
About Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that prevents you from sleeping through the night. The problem occurs as the result of overly relaxed throat muscles and tissues. In an ideal situation, your throat muscles remain active while you sleep. This keeps your throat tissues from touching, and your air passages wide open.
However, if you suffer from snoring, your throat muscles first typically relax enough for your throat tissues to touch one another. While you breathe, your tissues vibrate against each other, which results in the noise you call “snoring.” However, during sleep apnea, your throat tissues completely relax, blocking your air passages. When your brain notices you have stopped breathing and that it is not receiving adequate oxygen, it alerts you to wake up and breathe. During the associated episode, you will likely wake briefly, gasping for air. However, because the event occurs so quickly, most patients do not remember the experience upon waking – even if it happens multiple times throughout the night.
The Benefits of Sleep Apnea Treatment
Suffering from sleep apnea can take a significant toll on your daily quality of life as well as your long-term health. Seeking treatment may allow you to avoid permanent damage, while improving your ability to function comfortably during the day. Sleep apnea symptoms include:
- Treatment will allow you to sleep through the night
- You will be able to function comfortably throughout the day without exhaustion
- Restful sleep helps you avoid the mood swings and concentration problems associated with poor sleep
- Treatment will improve uncomfortable symptoms, including dry mouth and morning headaches
- Sleep apnea treatment may help prevent subsequent health problems
What To Expect From Treatment
Dr. Richards will examine you and discuss your health history to ensure a proper diagnosis. If he determines you suffer from sleep apnea, you will wear an oral appliance while you sleep at night. Similar to a mouth guard, the comfortable oral appliance gently shifts your jaw, so you can achieve open airways during sleep.
Can You Benefit from Sleep Apnea Treatment?
To ask Dr. Richards if you can benefit from sleep apnea treatment, call the Dental Centre of Conroe today at (936) 441-4600. Located in Conroe, TX, we also proudly serve the residents of Houston, The Woodlands, Willis, Montgomery, Magnolia, Huntsville, and all the surrounding communities.