Do you have questions about snoring and sleep apnea? Do you have concerns about sleep apnea and snoring treatment and want to ask a dental professional? Our experienced dentists, Dr. Goichi Shiotsu and Dr. Ryan Tam, can answer all your questions and concerns and provide a tailored solution for your unique needs.
Schedule your FREE Sleep Apnea and Snoring Consultation NOW and start your journey toward a restful night's sleep that will safeguard your overall health.
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Snoring and sleep apnea problems can lead to many other life-threatening health concerns. Our skilled dentists and dental staff will address all your questions and concerns about treatment options. Below, we have answered the most frequently asked questions about sleep apnea, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options. If any of your questions are left unanswered, or if for any reason you would rather talk to an experienced professional, call our dental office NOW at (206) 232-3600.
What Are the Three Most Prominent Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Knowing the sleep apnea symptoms will help you to take prompt steps to treat this sleep disorder. Signs of sleep apnea involve:
- Loud Snoring: One of the most common signs is loud and chronic snoring. This can be disruptive to both you and your bed partner.
- Episodes of Suffocation: You may experience episodes where you stop breathing during sleep. These episodes can last a few seconds to minutes and may happen multiple times a night.
- Gasping for Air During Sleep: Another common sleep apnea symptom is waking up suddenly, feeling short of breath, or gasping for air. This is a response to the temporary drop in oxygen levels during an apnea episode.
One of the most challenging concerns is that the oxygen level of your blood drops drastically, which causes drowsiness, memory loss, low energy, weight gain, depression, and pain. If you leave it untreated for a long time, your brain may be damaged and even cause death.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
It is caused when your throat muscles or nasal tissues relax too much and block the airway. In more severe cases, your brain may fail to send signals to your muscles as involuntary responses. The constricted airways disturb your sleep during the night, promoting snoring and other issues in your daily life.
What Happens if Sleep Apnea Is Left Untreated?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder, and almost two-thirds of the American population is suffering from it. It is difficult to correlate the symptoms of sleep apnea to an actual sleep disorder, which is the reason many people never find out about it. It can be depressing to feel tired and sleepy all the time.
The impact of losing your sleep quality and well-being is greatly debilitating. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to various health issues, which include high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, heart failure, depression, and brain damage. This is why it is important to detect your disorder early and seek the right treatment right away.
At Mercer Island Dental, our newer oral appliances are much more comfortable than a sleep apnea machine in treating sleep apnea and restoring your normal sleep pattern. With the right treatment, you will feel improvement in your mood and overall health.
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Can I Test Myself for Sleep Apnea at Home?
Yes! At Mercer Island, we offer a convenient and easy at-home sleep testing system for detecting sleep disorders. After an initial appointment with our dentists, Dr. Goichi Shiotsu or Dr. Ryan Tam will provide you with a device to monitor your sleep for a few days and record the number of sleep interruptions you experience.
This device will accurately measure the oxygen levels in your blood during sleep to discover your average oxygen supply throughout the night. This is a cost-effective alternative to attending a sleep study center. We will use this data to diagnose sleep apnea and recommend treatment to improve your health.
Can Apple Watch Detect Sleep Apnea?
There are some new wearable technology like the Apple watch that helps to monitor your health. Cardiograms and UCSF have shown that the Apple Watch can accurately detect normal heart rhythms 97% of the time.
A recent study has shown that it precisely identifies sleep apnea 90% of the time. It can also assist you in detecting hypertension with an accuracy of 82%. These findings are important as they provide an easy way to check your health, but expert opinion is the most important factor in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders.
How Do I Get Rid of Sleep Apnea?
Addressing sleep apnea is easy when you understand its type and severity. At Mercer Island Dental, Our expert dentists, Dr. Goich Shiotsu and Dr. Ryan Tam, create a personalized treatment plan to provide optimal results.
An oral device can be an effective and efficient solution. This mouthpiece keeps your jaw slightly forward and prevents your jaw from collapsing into the throat. It is a beneficial option for you if you find CPAP devices uncomfortable or inconvenient.
NightLase can also be a great non-invasive treatment option. This procedure tightens your throat tissues for better breathing and smoother progression through your sleep stages.
What Are the 3 Types of Sleep Apnea?
There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and complex.
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In this type, your airway closes up due to the relaxation of your throat or nasal tissues, which often results in loud snoring and sleep disruption.
Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain fails to send signals to your breathing muscles during sleep, which leads to abnormal breathing patterns. It does not occur due to a blocked airway, like OSA. Instead, it is a neurological issue.
Complex sleep apnea is profound, and you can have it if you have central apnea. This form can be particularly challenging to treat as it involves both OSA and CSA.
Does Sleep Apnea Go Away on Its Own?
No, sleep apnea does not go on its own and needs dental or medical intervention to improve your condition. Losing weight and adopting healthy habits can help reduce its severity.
The standard American diet has led to more people experiencing weight gain and an increased risk of sleep apnea symptoms.
Fortunately, dentistry has come a long way in treating more than just teeth.
Can Sleep Apnea Be Cured Naturally?
Very few cases of sleep apnea can be cured without dental or medical intervention. In order to reduce the severity of sleep apnea at home, the only things you can do naturally are to lose weight and do some tongue exercises.
You can opt for modern treatment at Mercer Island Dental, which includes NighLase, MARPE, and CPAP therapy without the use of an uncomfortable sleep apnea machine. This approach offers a more effective and durable solution compared to simply managing symptoms with medication.
Which Sleep Position Is Most Effective for Sleep Apnea?
The most effective sleep position to treat your apnea is sleeping on your side. When you sleep on your side, your airway is less likely to collapse, facilitating better airflow. In contrast, sleeping on your back exacerbates sleep apnea symptoms, allowing the tongue to fall back into your throat and increase the chances of airway obstruction.
Sleeping on your side encourages better blood flow and digestion and mitigates acid reflex, which often correlates with apnea.
Can a Pillow Assist in Alleviating Sleep Apnea?
The majority of research suggests that a pillow designed for sleep apnea provides minimal to no benefit for patients. However, elevating your head can help keep your airway open, reducing the frequency and severity of sleep disorders.
For those using a CPAP sleep apnea machine, these pillows can often help keep the tubes and wires less noticeable during sleep, thus providing certain benefits for some individuals. At Mercer Island Dental, our aim is to offer the most efficient alternative solutions to CPAP sleep apnea machine usage for sufferers whenever possible.
Book Your Appointment at Mercer Island Dental for Your Questions and Sleep Apnea Treatment!
If you are suffering from snoring and sleep apnea, visit our professionals for your treatment. Mercer Island Dental creates personalized treatment plans to meet your treatment needs and overcome sleep problems.
Schedule your FREE Consultation NOW to enjoy a peaceful night's sleep by customizing your sleep apnea treatment with us.
Click Now For Your FREE Sleep Apnea Consultation
Contact us now to start your journey toward better sleep and a healthier life. Call (206) 232-3600 to book your appointment. You deserve the best care, and Mercer Island Dental is here to provide it.
