Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) takes a toll on the health of the patient as well as the comfort and happiness of their partner. The Manhattan Beach Sleep Apnea Dentist advises that seeking immediate treatment is essential. We get a lot of questions from patients who don’t really understand sleep apnea and its risks, and we will address some of them here.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

OSA occurs when a patient momentarily stops breathing or has difficulty breathing during sleep. This is a result of a blocked airway caused by soft oral tissue at the back of the throat. This blocked air passage often causes the patient to snore and awaken several times during the night just so they can start breathing normally again.

Who is at Risk for Developing OSA?

It is important to learn about the factors that create a risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea so that you can inform your dentist. Here are a few of the more commonly known factors that put someone at risk for developing OSA:

• Men are more prone to suffer from sleep apnea than women
• Overweight patients have a greater likelihood of developing sleep apnea
• Allergy patients are at greater risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea
• A history of sleep apnea in your family also increases the risk of developing it yourself
• A traumatic injury to the nose puts you at greater risk of developing sleep apnea

These are just a few of the more common risk factors for a person to develop sleep apnea. But it is by no means a complete list. The truth is that anyone can develop sleep apnea.

If your partner complains about your disruptive snoring or you find that you suddenly start waking up frequently during the night, contact the Manhattan Beach Sleep Apnea Dentist to discuss the problem and determine if a diagnosis of OSA is likely. There are options available to you so that you can safeguard your health, improve your relationship and get a good night’s sleep.

Why Do I Snore?

How Can You Help With My OSA?

Heavy snoring can be a sign of a dangerous condition called sleep apnea. When you snore, the soft tissues in the back of your throat collapse onto themselves and obstruct the airway, causing the vibration known as snoring. Fortunately, the Sleep Apnea Dentist, Manhattan Beach California has safe, effective options for dealing with sleep apnea.

If the obstruction becomes serious, it is called obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. In such cases the flow of air may be stopped for brief periods, causing you to wake for a second or two with a loud gasp as you attempt to catch your breath.

This can cause heart and blood pressure problems, related to low oxygen levels in the blood. The obstruction and mini-awakening cycle can occur as many as 50 times an hour. A person with this condition awakens tired and faces the risk of accidents at work or while driving due to fatigue.

Studies show that sleep apnea patients are much more likely to suffer from heart attack, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, brain damage and strokes.

What Can Be Done to Treat OSA?

Snoring, apnea, and OSA occur more frequently in people who are overweight. So start with losing weight and exercising.

The Sleep Apnea Dentist, Manhattan Beach California can design oral appliances to wear while sleeping that will keep your airway open while you sleep. These appliances, which look like sports mouth guards, work by repositioning the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate and uvula (soft tissues in the back of the throat); stabilizing the lower jaw and tongue; and increasing the muscle tone of the tongue.

Another approach is to use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) bedside machine. These machines send pressurized air through a tube connected to a mask covering the nose and sometimes the mouth. The pressurized air opens the airway so that breathing is not interrupted.

Please Contact Us to Get Started

Diagnosis and treatment of OSA is best accomplished by joint consultation with your physician and our office. Please contact our dentist office, and we’ll be happy to make arrangements to get the process started.

Millions of people suffer with obstructive sleep apnea. It not only takes a toll on a patient’s health and well being but also on their partner’s happiness. Snoring, exhaustion and  irritability often accompany obstructive sleep apnea making life more difficult for everyone. Our Manhattan Beach Sleep Apnea Dentist wants you to understand what sleep apnea is, what causes it and who it affects. We know that an educated patient is a healthy patient. It is important that you seek treatment for this disorder as soon as you notice the warning signs.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

OSA is a condition in which a patient stops breathing or experiences blocked breathing while sleeping. If you experience OSA, your airway becomes blocked by soft oral tissue as you sleep. As a result your airway is blocked and you more snore regularly. You may even momentarily wake up to “restart” your breathing.

Who can develop Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea that are important to keep in mind. Here are some of the more common risks associated with OSA:

• Overweight patients are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea
• A family history of sleep apnea puts you at increased risk
• Men are at greater risk than women
• Allergy sufferers are more likely to have OSA
• You may be at risk for OSA if you’ve suffered trauma to your nose

These are some common risk factors that describe who can be at greater risk for developing sleep apnea, but it is not a complete list . The truth is that virtually anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea. If you find that you’re snoring regularly or jolting awake in the middle of the night speak to the Manhattan Beach Sleep Apnea Dentist about the possibility of OSA. We are committed to finding a solution to the problem and helping you get the good night’s sleep you need.

If you are a sufferer, you know that sleep apnea can have a devastating and possibly life-threatening outcome. This sleep disorder is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These breathing interruptions may last anywhere from several seconds to minutes, with a frequency rate as often as 30 times or more per hour.

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are severe headaches upon waking, sleepiness in the daytime, and insomnia. Fortunately, modern dentistry has devised the necessary technology and expertise to treat sleep apnea and the Sleep Apnea Dentist Manhattan Beach, California offers several different treatments.

Sleep apnea is a very serious, potentially harmful disorder that warrants seeking treatment immediately if you suspect that you may be suffering from this disorder. When the soft tissue at the back of your throat collapses into the airway, obstructive sleep apnea occurs.

In treating sleep apnea, the first step is for your dentist to conduct tests in order to pinpoint the proper treatment for your situation. The results are then reviewed by your Sleep Apnea Dentist—offering a welcome alternative to traditional laboratory sleep studies.

We can then offer many different treatment alternatives, depending largely on the exact diagnosis and the health of the patient. You may be advised to eliminate habits that aggravate sleep apnea such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and use of tranquilizers.

Dental devices that gently tease the lower jaw forward are very effective in preventing the tongue from blocking the main air passage.  These dental devices are gentle, easy to wear, and often help patients avoid unwanted surgeries. If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea it is essential that you contact the Manhattan Beach Stop Sleep Apnea Dentist immediately.