If you snore loudly or toss and turn throughout the night, you may have sleep apnea, a disorder that occurs when your airway becomes repeatedly blocked and disrupts your breathing. The sleep apnea experts at Carnegie Hill Dental Group on the Upper East Side of New York City can help diagnose this potentially serious condition and provide the kind of treatment that helps prevent complications. To learn more, call or book your appointment online today.
Sleep apnea is a relatively common disorder that occurs when repeated blockages in your airway cause your breathing to slow substantially or stop completely as you sleep. Each time your brain registers a lack of oxygen during this ongoing cycle, it stimulates respiration, often causing a partial awakening.
There are three main types of sleep apnea:
Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of the condition, happens when the soft tissues in your mouth or throat collapse and block your airway.
This sleep disorder occurs when your brain fails to properly signal the muscles that control respiration.
This condition is a combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
Although loud, chronic snoring is the most common sign of sleep apnea, not everyone who develops the disorder has a noticeable snoring problem. Other symptoms include:
Some people with sleep apnea may also wake often during the night to urinate.
The team at Carnegie Hill Dental Group may suspect you have sleep apnea if your medical history reveals any common symptoms or risk factors for the disorder. A visual exam of your upper airway, neck, jaw, and tongue can help confirm their suspicions.
Although it may be possible to spot the signs of sleep apnea during a routine oral exam, you need to undergo sleep testing to detect apnea events and diagnose the type and severity of your disorder.
The ongoing loss of restorative rest associated with sleep apnea can increase your risk of developing a wide range of serious health problems, including:
To help relieve chronic snoring, keep your airway open, and reduce your risk of apnea-related complications, the team at Carnegie Hill Dental Group provides custom oral appliances. These comfortable, custom-fitted devices are designed to move your jaw into a position that helps keep your airway open as you sleep.
To learn more about the importance of treating sleep apnea, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
