Why Should I See a Dentist for Sleep Apnea Treatment?
The physical symptoms of sleep apnea occur in the mouth and upper airway, which are the parts of the body that
dentists know about the most! This enables sleep dentists like Dr. Castillo to evaluate oral anatomy to determine
how likely a person is to have sleep apnea/snoring issues. Then, with Nightlase, she can treat the physical source
of the problem with extreme precision to open up the airway.
Does Everyone Who Snores Have Sleep Apnea?
No, snoring is not an automatic indicator of sleep apnea. If a person only snores occasionally and tends to feel
fully rested in the morning, then they likely don’t have sleep apnea. However, if someone snores loudly
every single night and exhibits other symptoms like daytime exhaustion, morning headaches, sore throats,
and waking up feeling out of breath, sleep apnea is much more likely. However, it should be noted that patients
who snore regularly but don’t have sleep apnea are shown in research to be at a much higher risk of
developing the condition in the future.
How Long Are Apnea Events or Episodes?
A typical apnea episode in which a person stops breathing lasts for about 10 seconds or less. While this might
not seem like that much, these episodes can occur dozens and up to a hundred times an hour in severe
cases. On top of being very stressful for the body, this interrupts the sleep cycle and prevents someone from
reaching the deeper, more restorative stages.
What Does Sleep Apnea Look Like for Women?
As with many other medical conditions, women tend to experience sleep apnea slightly differently compared to men.
For women, symptoms like insomnia, morning headaches, and issues with mood regulation (“mood swings”)
are more prominent. Snoring is also less likely compared to men with sleep apnea. The condition also seems to
become much more prominent after menopause, though the exact reason why is yet to be determined.
Who Is Most at Risk for Sleep Apnea?
The leading risk factors for sleep apnea are obesity, age, smoking, and excessive alcohol use. Men also tend to
develop sleep apnea about two to three times more often than women because they experience higher rates of these
risk factors. That being said, many people who are a healthy weight, relatively young, and don’t use these
substances have sleep apnea due to less common reasons, so symptoms like snoring and persistent exhaustion
shouldn’t be ignored.
The Dangers of Sleep Apnea
At first, sleep apnea might seem like nothing more than an annoyance. The truth is, though, that if it remains
untreated for too long, it can seriously affect your health. It may cause or worsen the following conditions:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Unwanted weight gain
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Depression and other mood disorders
- Memory problems and dementia
Additionally, sleep apnea has the potential to increase your risk of being involved in a serious accident because
it can slow down your reaction times. The exhaustion it causes could even adversely affect your relationships with
your loved ones.