Would You Be Shocked If Told Sleep Apnea Can Potentially Kill You?

Jun 01, 2020

You would have difficulties believing that a simple sleep disorder that causes your breathing to stop and start repeatedly has the potential also to kill you if informed by your regular physician or even the dentist in Dorval. The symptoms of the disorder could be as simple as snoring that would prevent you from having a good night’s rest to leave you feeling tired during the day. However, the problem is identified as sleep apnea and has the potential to turn fatal if it is left untreated.

Sleep apnea can affect you in three different ways. They are obstructive sleep apnea which is common and occurs when the muscles in your throat relax. The second is central sleep apnea which is a problem that occurs when proper signals are not sent by your brain to the muscles in charge of controlling the breathing. Complex sleep apnea syndrome is a problem that can affect you when you have obstructive as well as central sleep apnea attacking you.

If you believe you are suffering from sleep apnea it is suggested that you see your doctor for sleep apnea diagnosis. The visit to your doctor may help to present sleep apnea solutions that may prevent cardiovascular problems and other complications.

What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

The signs of obstructive and central sleep apnea are nearly similar making it difficult to determine which type of problem is affecting you. The most common signs and symptoms affecting both varieties include:

  • Episodes when you stop breathing when sleeping and only realize it when told by another person.
  • Loud snoring.
  • Gasping for air when sleeping.
  • Waking up with a dry mouth.
  • Insomnia.
  • Hypersomnia.
  • Difficulty concentrating even when awake.
  • Irritability.

When to Contact a Doctor?

Despite loud snoring being an indicator of the serious problem of sleep apnea, it must be mentioned that not all people who have sleep apnea snore. If you have any signs or symptoms of sleep apnea that are leaving you fatigued, irritable, or sleepy these problems must be brought to the attention of the doctor treating you.

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

Your doctor or even the dentist in Dorval will evaluate after listening to your signs and symptoms and any sleep history you provide with the help of your sleeping partner. You can expect to be referred to a sleep disorder Center where an expert in sleep medicine can help you to determine whether you need to be evaluated further.

An evaluation at a sleep clinic involves overnight monitoring of your breathing and other functions of the body when sleeping. Sleep apnea diagnosis can be conducted by a polysomnography test or even home sleep apnea tests that have recently been introduced.

The sleep physician may prescribe treatments without further testing even when the tests are abnormal by suggesting portable sleep appliances that can be provided by Clinique Dentaire Dorval.

Sleep Apnea Solutions Popularly Suggested

Lifestyle changes may be suggested by the sleep physician to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. The changes may include losing weight and giving up smoking. People suffering from nasal allergies will receive recommendations from their doctors to deal with the problem. A simple change in the sleeping position can also improve the symptoms of sleep apnea. However, if lifestyle changes don’t bring about any improvement other treatments will be suggested by the medical professional.

The most common and reliable device suggested by doctors is the CPAP device if you are suffering from moderate to severe sleep apnea. You may benefit from using the CPAP device that needs to be worn like a mask when sleeping. This device has been used for quite some time and is relied upon by medical professionals as an effective measure against sleep apnea. Unfortunately, many patients do not find this device suitable and prefer to have a convenient alternative that is available from dentists in the form of oral sleep appliances.

Dental professionals trained in dental sleep medicine have pioneered the oral sleep appliance designed for relieving the symptoms of sleep apnea. It is similar to a mouthguard and keeps the lower jaw in a forward position to make it easier for the patient to breathe when sleeping. Oral appliances are easy-to-use, are portable, and can relieve you from the problem of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. They could potentially be your defense against a life-threatening problem that you believe is just a pain in the neck for your sleeping partner, snoring.

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