The Texas Patient’s Guide
to Sleep Apnea
What is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when the soft tissues in your oral cavity, such as your throat muscles and tongue, fall back into the airway. This creates a blockage that stops you from breathing multiple times while sleeping. Your body then signals the brain to wake up suddenly, causing you to gasp for air. These episodes can happen hundreds of times a night, but most patients typically don’t remember waking up at all.
Signs & Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
The most common signs of sleep apnea are snoring and repeatedly gasping for air throughout the night, as well as:
- Waking up with a sore or dry throat
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches
- Reduced libido
- Nighttime sweating
- Lack of energy or motivation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood changes, like depression or irritability
- Recent weight gain
If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, it’s likely you may suffer from sleep apnea. The only way to receive a proper diagnosis for your condition is by taking a sleep study.
How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Health
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a number of serious mental and physical health problems. Consequences of untreated sleep apnea may include:
- High blood pressure
- Depression and anxiety
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Premature death
It’s important to seek professional treatment as soon as you receive a proper diagnosis of sleep apnea. This will help relieve your symptoms and prevent further health complications later on. Give us a call at (833) 275-3372 to schedule your consultation with one of our providers so they can help you live a longer, healthier life. We offer comfortable treatment for sleep apnea, including CPAP alternatives.
Comfortable CPAP Alternatives
Here at Texas Dental Sleep Services, we specialize in dental sleep medicine and facial pain to treat a number of problems and help get your health back on track. To help relieve symptoms of sleep apnea and get you a better night’s rest, our providers offers several effective treatments and CPAP alternatives.
The most commonly prescribed treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. CPAP is a machine that works by blowing constant, steady air pressure through a tube and mask that you wear each night. Though it’s an effective solution, most patients complain that CPAP is too loud, restrictive, and uncomfortable.
That’s why our providers offers custom-made oral appliances as a more comfortable alternative to CPAP. These tiny devices are fitted to your unique bite for comfort and convenience. They work by gently shifting your jaw to keep the airway open while you sleep, preventing the soft tissues from collapsing and helping you breathe easier. Oral appliances are small, quiet, portable, and won’t disturb you throughout the night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is caused by a blockage in the airway due to the relaxation of the muscles in the back of your throat. There are several factors that may increase your risk of sleep apnea, including being male and aged 40 or older. Additional risk factors include:
- Excess weight
- Narrow airway
- Large neck circumference
- Family history
- Nasal congestion
- Medical conditions
- Smoking and use of alcohol
- Certain medications
Though snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, not everyone who snores suffers from the disorder. Snoring can be caused by a number of other factors, like:
- Excess weight
- Genetics
- Allergies
- Nasal congestion
- Sleep position
The only way to know if you’re suffering from sleep apnea is to take a sleep study and get an accurate diagnosis from a qualified physician.
Sleep apnea can’t really be cured, but there are a number of treatments and lifestyle changes that can help reduce sleep apnea symptoms and tackle the condition. Treatments may include a CPAP machine, an oral appliance, myofunctional therapy, surgery, and more. After getting a proper diagnosis, your doctor will create a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Natural remedies to help manage your symptoms may include losing weight, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and sedatives, and positional therapy.
Yes! A sleep study is the only way to know if you have a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study if you have sleep apnea symptoms, risk of certain health problems, or if lack of sleep affects your everyday life.
Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to various health complications, including high blood pressure, strokes, heart failure, and more. If you think you have sleep apnea, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and seek treatment right away to lower your risk of further problems.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you think you’re suffering from sleep apnea, contact our highly skilled Texas Dental Sleep Services team by calling (833) 275-3372. We’ll schedule an appointment for you with one of our providers as soon as possible so he can get to the root of your problem and provide you with a treatment that works.
You can also fill out our convenient contact form below and one of our staff members will get back to you promptly. Our providers proudly serves patients looking for lasting sleep apnea relief throughout Texas, including Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas.
