What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is when your breathing stops for prolonged periods during sleep. This forces your brain to awaken slightly to restore breathing. As a result, your sleep keeps getting interrupted. This can happen hundreds of times a night, though you might not know it. Your brain is only waking up enough to restart breathing, not consistently enough to be conscious of waking. If you are mindful of waking up, you might think you woke up for another reason, such as urinating.
There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your airway relaxes and collapses at night, cutting off your access to air. It’s as if your own throat is strangling you. In central sleep apnea, your brain stops sending signals telling your body to breathe. It’s possible to have both types and sometimes people describe this as a third type, complex sleep apnea.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
You might not know it’s happening because sleep apnea occurs during your sleep. You should pay attention if people tell you that you:
- Snore
- Grind your teeth
- Choke in your sleep
- Sleep restlessly
- Snore
- Grind your teeth
- Choke in your sleep
- Sleep restlessly
As these are all commonly associated with sleep apnea. In addition, you might experience symptoms like:
- Morning headaches
- Daytime sleepiness
- Dozing off at work or while driving
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Sexual dysfunction
- Uncontrollable weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia)
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Moodiness or irritability
- Depression or anxiety
- Morning headaches
- Daytime sleepiness
- Dozing off at work or while driving
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Sexual dysfunction
- Uncontrollable weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia)
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Moodiness or irritability
- Depression or anxiety
These symptoms persist despite changes to your sleeping routine, such as making your bedroom a more comfortable place to sleep, going to bed earlier, establishing a good bedtime routine, etc.
Patient Testimonials
“I had to take my daughter that is terrified of dentists in to get her cavity taken care of. A friend recommended Collins Dentistry and said they would make the experience a good one (as good as going to the dentist can be!). They used really good numbing gel and she didn’t even cry. I have recommended them to friends.”
– Amy H.
“This is a second generation business in Cheney. They are supportive of this community and are well liked and respected. The Collins brothers provide professional service and do a great job cleaning your teeth and making sure you leave with a great smile. I would recommend.”
– Jeffrey B.
“I used to be terrified of the dentist and of having any work done on my teeth due to terrible past experiences, but Dr. Chris and his team are amazing. They make me feel so comfortable, they explain everything, and they never hesitate to help me with whatever it is that I need.”
– Lacee G.
Dangers of Sleep Apnea
We describe sleep apnea as a potentially deadly condition because people with sleep apnea may be up to six times more likely to die of any cause than people without the condition. Sleep apnea affects so many systems in your body that people with the condition can suffer numerous complications, including:
- High blood pressure that doesn’t respond to medication
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Workplace accidents
- Traffic accidents
- Dementia
- Suicide
- Cancer
- High blood pressure that doesn’t respond to medication
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Workplace accidents
- Traffic accidents
- Dementia
- Suicide
- Cancer
Blood pressure that doesn’t respond to medication is called resistant hypertension, and some doctors consider it a characteristic indicator of sleep apnea. If you experience this, you should be tested for sleep apnea and get treatment before other conditions develop.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment
Many online quizzes claim they can tell if you have sleep apnea, but there’s only one way to get a sleep apnea diagnosis: a sleep test. You had to go to a sleep lab for the test in the past, but now you can take a sleep test at home. This is effective for most people, and it’s more comfortable and less expensive than a test in a sleep lab.
CPAP
Once a doctor diagnoses you with sleep apnea, you will likely get a prescription for CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). CPAP is an air pump that forces air into a tube, through a mask, and down your throat. This keeps your airway open with pressure and supplies oxygen, even if breathing stops. CPAP is considered the gold standard for sleep apnea treatment. That’s because it is essentially 100% effective at treating the condition when used correctly and regularly.
Oral Appliance Therapy
However, only about half of people prescribed CPAP use the treatment long-term. This means they go back to suffering with the symptoms and risks of sleep apnea. Dr. Collins offers a treatment alternative for these people and those who don’t want to use CPAP because it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable.
Dr. Collins can treat your sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy. An oral appliance is like a mouthguard you wear at night while sleeping. It repositions your jaw, the main bony structure supporting your airway. This holds your airway open so that you can breathe freely.
Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Appliance Therapy?
So, how do you know if you’re a good candidate for oral appliance therapy? In general, oral appliance therapy works well if you:
- Have obstructive sleep apnea AND
- Have mild to moderate sleep apnea OR
- Have severe sleep apnea but can’t adapt to CPAP
- Have obstructive sleep apnea AND
- Have mild to moderate sleep apnea OR
- Have severe sleep apnea but can’t adapt to CPAP
Oral appliance therapy only works for obstructive sleep apnea. There may also be some anatomical forms of obstruction that might not respond well to oral appliances. Dr. Collins will evaluate you to help you decide if this is a good choice.
Oral appliance therapy is a frontline treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea. If you have severe sleep apnea, your insurance company will ask that you try CPAP before they will pay for oral appliance therapy.
Looking for Sleep Apnea Treatment in Cheney?
Have you been diagnosed with or suspect you have sleep apnea? If so, you must get treatment. It could be life-saving. Dr. Chris Collins can help you get sleep apnea treatment without CPAP. Instead, you can get a custom-made, highly effective sleep appliance that you can wear at night. It’s comfortable, convenient, and as effective as CPAP for appropriate candidates.
Please call (509) 235-8451 or use our online form today to request an appointment at Collins Family Dentistry in Cheney, WA.
