Tired All the Time? Answer These Questions to Assess Your Sleep Apnea Risk

Snoring is a problem for 25% of American adults, and almost half of all adults snore occasionally.  Snoring is much more than an annoying habit.  It can be a symptom of a more serious condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA is a condition which prevents normal breathing during relaxation.  When the throat muscles relax during sleep, they collapse upon each other, obstructing the airway and causing loud snoring and/or periods of apnea (not breathing). OSA can cause a variety of problems with both overall health as well as lifestyle.

25% of American Adults 

Suffer With Habitual

Snoring.

OSA and Chronic Health Conditions

Patients suffering with OSA can experience problems ranging from high blood pressure to clinical depression.  Extreme fatigue and sleepiness during the day, along with forgetfulness, mood changes and even loss of libido affect quality of life.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea Help

The good news is, there is help available.  Traditional treatment for OSA often includes the use of a C-PAP machine over night. Many patients find the C-PAP cumbersome and uncomfortable, reducing compliance.  Dental treatment for snoring and sleep apnea has been shown to reduce symptoms significantly. A custom made dental appliance which maintains an open airway, reducing snoring and preventing obstruction of the airway during sleep, can reduce or eliminate the serious problems associated with sleep apnea.

Snoring/Sleep Apnea Self Assesment

Answer the following questions to asses whether snoring or sleep apnea could be affecting your ability to achieve a good night's sleep. 

1. Do you often wake up in the morning with a very dry or sore throat?
2. Do you suffer from forgetfulness, mood-changes or decreased libido?
3. Do you snore, or have you been told that you snore?
4. Do you experience sleepiness or decreased energy during the day?
5. Do you frequently wake up in the morning with a headache?
6. Do you awaken during the night with a sensation of gasping or choking?
7. Do you experience restless sleep?
8. Do you experience extreme sleepiness while driving?

 If you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions, then you could be suffering with OSA.  The best way to find out for sure is to have a personal examination and consultation with a sleep apnea treatment provider, such as Dr. Jack E. Burroughs.

Your examination and consultation will reveal if snoring or sleep apnea is likely a problem for you.  A professional sleep-study will be used to gain a proper diagnosis.  Treatment for snoring and sleep apnea is easy to use and easy to comply with using a dental sleep apnea oral device.  For more information about OSA and treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, contact Dr. Burroughs at Forest Lane Dental. 

Snoring Disrupts More Than Your Sleep

If you snore, then you are aware of it- you get kicked in the night by your partner, woken up and told to roll over, you hear the complaints, but what can you do about it?  You might have tried using nose strips or other over the counter remedies that promise to eliminate your annoying nocturnal sound effects.  You might have considered or even tried using a C-PAP machine at night, but they can be uncomfortable, bulky and noisy.  The good news is that advancements in dentistry have developed a simple solution that can reduce or eliminate snoring in people with mild to moderate sleep apnea.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

 Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues in the throat relax during sleep, causing them to close in on each other, narrowing or closing off the airway.  Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea sufferers can experience prolonged periods of not breathing (apnea) which can be extremely harmful. In addition to loud, obnoxious snoring during the deepest (and most important) part of the sleep cycle, sleep apnea can contribute or even cause some pretty serious health conditions.  High blood pressure, stroke and depression have been linked to sleep apnea as well as a predisposition for heart problems.  If you don't get good, restful sleep at night, you wake feeling tired, irritable, and lack focus.  Dentistry has developed a simple solution that could be the answer to snoring you have been looking for.

The Dental Sleep Apnea Solution

 Dentists, such as Dr. Jack E. Burroughs, offer patients a simple, effective and comfortable solution to snoring and sleep apnea that help prevent the airway from collapsing during sleep.  A custom made mouth guard is made which perfectly fits over the teeth and holds the jaw slightly forward, maintaining an open airway and reducing snoring significantly.  This simple snoring appliance is available in Dallas at Forest Lane Dental.  Unlike do-it-yourself over the counter oral appliances, a custom made appliance ensures the right fit, best comfort and most effective airway protection.  If you are tired all the time and tired of the complaints that come with being a snorer, you owe it to yourself to check into dental snoring and sleep apnea solutions.

Contact your Dallas dental sleep apnea professional at Forest Lane Dental and schedule a consultation to find out if a dental snoring appliance is right for you.

Alcohol and Sleep Apnea Do Not Mix Well

If you suffer with sleep apnea, drinking alcohol can pose a dangerous threat.  Sleep apnea patients experience collapse of the airway during sleep, which causes prolonged lapses in normal breathing.  When oxygen is not exchanged properly, blood oxygen saturation levels decline, leading to numerous complications including high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.  Alcohol use may exaggerate airway problems in sleep apnea, causing more frequent and deeper lapses in normal breathing. 

Alcohol’s Effect On Sleep

Alcohol acts as a depressant, and has the effect of narrowing the airway due to relaxation of the muscles in the upper airway.  When this occurs, the airway can collapse, causing an apneic (without breath) episode.  Additionally, alcohol can disrupt the sleep cycles essential to normal sleep, shortening the essential cycles of sleep and disrupting the duration of sleep.  Sleep deprivation caused by alcohol consumption, even in people without OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) can lead to serious problems.

·         Depressive disorders

·         Reduced alertness

·         Daytime sleepiness

·         Increased episodes of apnea

·         Longer lasting episodes of apnea

Best Advice For Sleep Apnea Patients

The best advice for sleep apnea patients is to avoid alcohol use at all, especially within 6 hours of bedtime.  Studies show that sleep disturbances persist, even after the alcohol has been metabolized out of the body.  Using a custom oral appliance for sleep apnea, such as those available from Dr. Jack E. Burroughs, can help reduce the risk of prolonged episodes of apnea. 

For more information about diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and snoring, contact us.

The Problem With Snoring

Snoring sucks the life right out of your day.  If you suffer from snoring or obstructivesleep apnea (OSA), then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  When you snore or experience prolonged periods of not breathing (apnea) while you sleep, you actually experience many instances of waking during the night.  Frequent sleep interruptions prevent your body from engaging in deep, restful sleep.  In truth, you are not getting enough good quality sleep at night-and neither is your partner.

The effects of disrupted sleep have a profound effect on your lifestyle.  Waking tired, falling asleep easily during the day, drowsiness, headaches, mood disorders and even depression have been documented in sleep apnea patients.  More serious effects on overall heath are high blood pressure, increased risk for heart attack and stroke.  

What Can You Do To Stop Snoring?

That is the question Dr. Jack Burroughs asked himself several years ago when he began experiencing lack of quality sleep due to snoring and mild sleep apnea.  Using a C-PAP machine to force air into the airway is uncomfortable, bulky and difficult to comply with. 

Drawing on his experience as a dentist, he understood the physiological process that occurs with snoring; relaxation and laxity of the tissues and muscles supporting the airway.  He found his answer in the study and practice of dental sleep medicine.  Receiving training and certification in the practice of sleep dentistry from the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Burroughs began offering dental sleep apnea appliances in his North Dallas dental office.  He tried the appliance himself first, and several years later, he is still reaping the benefits of quiet, restful sleep.

Customized oral appliances are specially designed to reposition the lower jaw during sleep.  The compact, anatomically matched appliance prevents the oral and pharyngeal soft tissues from relaxing back into the throat, causing obstruction.  The results are significant and most patients experience drastic results immediately.

 

One Patient’s Sleep Apnea Story

One patient of Dr. Burroughs describes his experience:

"About two years ago, I was diagnosed with mild apnea.  I was prescribed a CPAP machine.  I tried very hard to get used to the CPAP and did everything possible not to give up on it, but it did not work out.  Through Dr. Burroughs, I learned about another alternative to help my apnea, which was using a special mouthpiece.  I received the mouthpiece and have found that it works much better than the CPAP and it is nowhere near as intrusive and uncomfortable.  I am sleeping better now."
~ Jason, Patient

If you suffer from snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea, a custom oral repositioning appliance may be the answer for you.  Give Dr. Burroughs a call to schedule aconsultation and get ready to say “goodbye” to C-PAP and “hello” to a good night’s sleep.