{"id":56,"date":"2017-02-17T16:40:23","date_gmt":"2017-02-17T16:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wedgewoodcompletedentistry.com\/blog\/?p=56"},"modified":"2017-02-22T21:02:22","modified_gmt":"2017-02-22T21:02:22","slug":"sleep-apnea-dangers-and-treatment-from-dentist-powell-html","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wedgewoodcompletedentistry.com\/blog\/sleep-apnea-dangers-and-treatment-from-dentist-powell-html\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Apnea \u2013 Dangers & Treatment Options From Your Dentist In Powell"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"YourFor the past few months, you\u2019ve felt exhausted. Initially, you thought it was just stress from work and taking care of your aging parents, but your wife\u2019s jokes about how much you\u2019ve been snoring lately make you wonder if something else is causing your sleep troubles. When you talk with your doctor, she orders a sleep study and you finally have your answer: obstructive sleep apnea. Your doctor prescribes a CPAP machine, but the tubes make you feel restricted and self-conscious, and your sinuses are frequently congested. You know sleep apnea is too deadly to leave untreated, but CPAP is not for you. Are there any alternatives that work just as well as a machine? Wedgewood Dental, your dentist in Powell, provides effective relief for this sleep disorder with custom oral appliance therapy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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What Is Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders, and is second behind insomnia. The word apnea means \u201cthe temporary cessation of breathing.\u201d This usually occurs because the tongue relaxes and slides against the back of the throat, blocking proper inhalation, and preventing you from breathing while you sleep.<\/p>\n

Since breathing is one of the vital functions of life, and your body is smart enough to know it\u2019s being starved of the oxygen it needs, your brain wakes up \u2013 causing micro-arousals. You wake up just enough to resume breathing correctly, but not enough to remember it. And, even though you may not know you\u2019re waking up, you feel it in the morning \u2013 you\u2019re constantly exhausted because you struggle to sleep deeply and still breathe properly.<\/p>\n

While CPAP machines solve the problem of a relaxed tongue and throat, the constant air pressure can be uncomfortable for many patients. Thankfully, there are dental alternatives to expensive machines that don\u2019t work for the people who need them.<\/p>\n

Is Sleep Apnea That Dangerous?<\/h2>\n

You may be thinking, if my body is wise enough to wake up and make sure I keep breathing throughout the night, is sleep apnea treatment really necessary? Dr. Ryan Eskridge and Dr. Norman Straker caution not taking this serious condition lightly. Sleep apnea can cause many severe medical issues:<\/p>\n