Have you been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or do you suffer from the symptoms of this condition? If so, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Not only can the condition affect your overall health and quality of life; it can also have serious consequences for your physical health. If left untreated, OSA could even shorten your life. Although you may not think about visiting your dentist for sleep apnea treatment, we offer custom-made mouthguards that can help you control your condition and improve your overall wellness.

Understanding Sleep Apnea

If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, your throat or soft palate will droop while you are asleep, closing off your airways. Alternatively, your tongue may fall back in your mouth with the same effect. In either case, the brief cessations of breathing will cause you to wake up or move to a lighter stage of sleep. Because you will never be fully rested, you may suffer chronic exhaustion and a host of other symptoms. These may include irritability, mood swings, headaches, forgetfulness, a lower sex drive, and chronic sore throats in the morning. Snoring is another common side effect of sleep apnea, since air must push past the obstructions in its path.

The Risks of Going without Treatment

Although all of the symptoms mentioned above can be annoying or even life-altering, there are even greater reasons to seek sleep apnea treatment. The condition has been linked to a number of serious health risks. These include:

• High blood pressure: Some researchers believe that the strain of chronic exhaustion and interruption to your sleep can cause your body to produce extra stress hormones. In turn, this will raise your blood pressure.
• Increased chance of heart attack: Of course, high blood pressure automatically raises your risk for a heart attack. On top of that, you will have an increased likelihood of developing an irregular heartbeat, since your heart will not receive a steady supply of oxygen.
• Diabetes: Some scientists speculate that chronic exhaustion can make your body resistant to insulin. In turn, this will make it difficult to control your blood sugar.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Fortunately, once you receive treatment for your OSA, you will face a lower risk for these other conditions. In fact, like some patients, you may be able to cut back on blood pressure medications after sleep apnea treatment. We can provide a small, custom-made oral appliance. This appliance will work much like a TMJ splint. The device will realign your jaw to tighten your soft tissues and reposition your tongue. In this way, it will keep your throat open while you sleep. Oral splints are quite comfortable, and most patients adjust to them in no time.

About Your Conroe General Dentist:

The Dental Centre of Conroe, John M Richards DDS delivers distinctive cosmetic, restorative, and implant dentistry for residents of Conroe, Houston, The Woodlands, Willis, Huntsville, and the neighboring communities. For more information about our services, or to schedule an appointment, contact us by calling (936) 441-4600.