If you or a loved one snores while asleep or suffers from chronic fatigue due to nights of interrupted sleep, there is a high chance that he/she has a condition known as sleep apnea. Beyond snoring, sleep apnea can be a serious health risk. Sleep apnea may reduce oxygen levels during sleep, which over time can contribute to cardiovascular and brain health issues.
When left untreated, sleep apnea can also cause damage to other body organs. However, the great news is that it is a treatable condition, especially when detected early. If a loved one informs you about your snoring issue while asleep, you should consult with a medical practitioner to help determine the cause of the issue.
At Agoura Hills Advanced Dentistry, we understand the importance of great and uninterrupted sleep and the overall health implications of sleep disorders, like sleep apnea.
Understanding Sleep Apnea and Different Forms of this Condition
Sleep apnea is a life-threatening chronic condition that causes repeated pauses in your breathing patterns while asleep. “Sleep apnea” comes from a Greek etymology, meaning “without breath.” The pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes and occur as often as thirty (30) times or more every hour.
Sleep apnea occurs due to airway blockage (OSA) or impaired respiratory control by the brain (CSA). After sensing this imbalance, your brain will activate a quick survival reflex that causes you to wake up at night when needed to unpause your breathing pattern.
While this survival reflex helps keep you alive, it can negatively affect your quality of sleep, making you wake up fatigued. Because you are usually partially awake during these episodes, you live with the condition for several months or years without knowing.
Types of Sleep Apnea You Ought to Know
Briefly discussed below are two primary forms of sleep apnea you ought to know:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
OSA is the most prevalent form of sleep apnea. According to a study, about one billion people aged between thirty and sixty-nine around the globe have OSA. OSA occurs as recurring episodes that completely or partially block your airway while you are asleep. That usually occurs when the soft tissues at the back of your throat collapse and relax too much to allow you to breathe properly.
When that happens, your diaphragm and chest must work harder than usual to keep your airways open. That is when you begin making loud gasps for air, and sometimes your body could jerk. If you have OSA, you should consult with a medical practitioner as soon as possible because, when left untreated, it can cause intermittent hypoxia and cardiovascular strain.
- Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
CSA occurs when your brain fails to send neural impulses to the muscles that help control your breathing when you are asleep. CSA is less common than OSA, but it is not a rare condition. This form of sleep apnea is commonly associated with the functions of the neurological system. It often affects individuals with neuromuscular diseases like myasthenia gravis or those who have experienced stroke or heart failure. High altitude and the use of certain medications like opioids can also put you at risk of developing CSA.
- Complex or Mixed Sleep Apnea
If your dentist or medical practitioner informs you that you have complex or mixed sleep apnea, it means you have a combination of both CSA and OSA types.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Signs
Recognizing sleep apnea symptoms and signs is critical for early intervention. Your spouse or bed partner will be the first person to detect the first symptoms of this condition. Common indicators that you have sleep apnea include:
- Increased irritability and personality changes
- Unusual breathing patterns
- Daytime sleepiness and fatigue
- Frequent night restlessness or awakeness
- Breathing pauses during sleep
- Snoring
- Sexual dysfunction
- Increased blood pressure
- Waking up at night, choking or gasping
- Trouble focusing during the day
- Frequent headaches
Symptoms and signs of sleep apnea in children could manifest differently. This condition rarely manifests in children, but symptoms may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Learning and behavioral changes
- Poor and bad performance in schoolwork
- Excess sweating
- Mouth breathing and swallowing difficulties
- Heartburn
If you experience any of these symptoms or notice a loved one has them, you should advise him/her to consult with a dentist as soon as possible. Sleep apnea requires a formal diagnosis from a sleep expert, but your dentist can also perform preliminary assessments and provide insights.
Sleep Apnea Common Causes
Sleep apnea occurs due to blockage of your airway when you are asleep or an issue with how the brain regulates breathing while you are asleep. On the other hand, CSP is caused by anything that affects how your brain controls chest muscles and breathing, including certain health conditions, hormones, and drugs like opioids.
While anybody can experience sleep apnea, certain issues can make you prone to this condition, including the following:
- Being overweight
- Nasal congestion
- Cigarette smoking
- Older age
- Use of sedatives, tranquilizers, or opioids
- A narrowed airway caused by large tonsils or adenoids
- Sleeping on your back
- Certain medical conditions, like high blood pressure (BP), congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and hormonal disorders
- Being male
- Neck circumference
Understanding How a Doctor Diagnoses Sleep Apnea
Before your healthcare provider performs a diagnosis for sleep apnea, he/she will ask you some questions about your symptoms and family history of sleep apnea. The doctor could also ask your bed partner about some of the symptoms he/she could have noticed about you while asleep, since you are likely unaware of them. Your doctor will also find out whether you:
- Have you recently consumed any medicine like opioids
- Have a family-related sleep apnea issue
- Have recently explored a place higher than 6,000 feet in elevation.
- Have any conditions linked to sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes
After asking these questions, your healthcare provider or dentist will also do the following when determining whether you have this condition:
Check Your Medical History
Your doctor will rely on the details you offer him/her to find the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea. Reviewing your family’s history can also help determine if you will likely develop this condition. During this examination, your doctor will assess your health to see if you have any disease-related complications, including high blood pressure (BP).
Perform a Physical Examination
Your doctor will also conduct a thorough physical examination to diagnose sleep apnea. During the physical examination, your doctor will consider conditions that can increase your likelihood of developing sleep apnea, including tonsils, a wide neck circumference, and obesity. Your doctor will also look at jaw size and structure.
Perform Sleep Studies
Performing sleep studies is another trustworthy way to diagnose sleep apnea. Your doctor could also ask you to take sleep studies at a healthcare facility or home. The purpose of these tests is to do the following:
- Find any instance during your sleep that resembles the signs and symptoms of OSA
- To find the low and high activity levels in the muscles that control your breathing pattern
- Check the oxygen levels in your blood while asleep
- Watch your heart and brain action while asleep
Sleep Apnea Severity
Your doctor will use a hypopnea/apnea index (AHI) to find out the seriousness of your apnea issue. The AHI will identify and quantify the average number of hypopneas (reduced airflow) and apneas (anytime you pause breathing when sleeping). Based on the number of episodes you have within an hour, your medical practitioner could diagnose you with mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea.
Reasons It Is Crucial to Have Your Sleep Apnea Issue Treated
In addition to affecting your sleep and causing extreme drowsiness, when left untreated, sleep apnea can cause the following:
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Digestive issues
- Erectile dysfunction
- Morning headaches
- Stroke and heart disease
For all these reasons, you should consult with a medical practitioner as soon as possible when you notice you have sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
Generally speaking, sleep apnea has no cure, but your doctor can recommend various treatments to help stop or lessen the condition’s symptoms. The treatment option your doctor will recommend for your sleep apnea issue will depend on your unique form of sleep apnea and its severity.
For mild cases, your doctor could only recommend lifestyle changes. For instance, your doctor could recommend stopping smoking or losing weight. However, if this remedy does not help lessen your symptoms or you have a moderate sleep apnea issue, your dentist or doctor could recommend any of the following treatments:
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy
Lifestyle adjustments, like weight loss and avoiding tobacco-related products, may help reduce mild symptoms, but treatment could be necessary to stop the issue. To treat the issue, your doctor could recommend using a breathing device, like CPAP. A CPAP machine provides steady airflow into your airway while asleep using a mask covering your mouth and nose.
The pressure caused by this device helps maintain your airway passage open and prevents pauses in your breathing pattern. When your dentist or doctor recommends a CPAP as a treatment remedy for your sleep apnea issue, you could find it challenging to sleep with the device within the first few days, but you will adjust with time and begin sleeping comfortably with it on.
The following tips will help you adapt to the CPAP within the shortest time possible:
- Reset the CPAP device when your airflow wakes you
- Fix your mask properly
- Ensure the machine is clean
Dental Appliance Treatment
Using oral appliances is another way to treat sleep apnea. However, this treatment option is not as effective as using CPAP devices. However, because oral appliances are easier to use, they may be an excellent option for treating your sleep apnea problem if you cannot tolerate CPAP because of its bulkiness.
Mandibular advancement devices or tools are the most popular oral appliances for treating sleep apnea. Your doctor will use these tools if you have obstructive sleep apnea. The doctor could also recommend a custom dental or mandibular appliance to prevent the tongue from blocking your throat. Your sleep specialist or dentist will help determine if you are an excellent candidate for this procedure.
Medical Surgery
Your healthcare provider could recommend surgical remedies to treat your sleep apnea in severe cases. The common procedures your doctor will perform are outpatient procedures. A surgical procedure could be helpful if you have excessive or malformed tissues obstructing your airway through the nose or mouth.
Medical surgery is the last treatment option for sleep apnea, which is ideal if other conservative treatments are not helpful. Common surgical procedures your doctor could recommend to treat your unique sleep apnea condition include:
- Tonsillectomy—As the name suggests, this procedure involves surgical removal of the tonsillar tissues located in the back part of the throat, which usually obstruct the airway when you are asleep
- Somnoplasty—During this procedure, your dentist or doctor uses radio frequency energy to reduce soft tissues in your upper airway
- Mandibular or maxillary advancement surgery—During this procedure, your doctor will surgically correct any facial or throat abnormalities causing your sleep apnea
- Tracheostomy—Your doctor will recommend this surgery if you have serious sleep apnea. During this surgery, your doctor will open your airway by cutting a minor opening on your neck, where he/she will insert a tube you can use to breathe
- Septoplasty—This is a type of nasal surgery that allows your doctor to eliminate any soft tissue in your nose that affects airflow through it easily to the nasal passages
Sleep Apnea Implants
Another cutting-edge method of addressing sleep apnea is installing hypoglossal nerve stimulators in your body to activate muscles and maintain an open airway for breathing at night. Although this technology is costly and new, it is a treatment option worth considering if you have this bothersome condition.
Lifestyle Treatment Options That Can Help if You Have Sleep Apnea
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can lessen mild sleep apnea symptoms through lifestyle adjustments. Your doctor will advise when to begin your lifestyle changes and what to do. Even if you are receiving medical attention for your sleep apnea issue, lifestyle adjustments are vital in reducing obstructive or central sleep apnea issues and improving the quality of your sleep.
Some of the lifestyle changes your doctor could recommend include the following:
Losing Weight
If you have sleep apnea and are obese or overweight, losing some weight could help lessen the symptoms of this condition. While it will not cure your condition completely, it will lessen the frequency of your breathing episodes while asleep and lessen daytime sleepiness.
Sleep on Your Side
Sleeping on your back narrows your airway because it causes your jaw, tongue, and other soft tissues to fall back on your throat if you have OSA. However, you can avoid this by sleeping or lying on your side, which keeps your airways open.
Perform Exercises
Your daily exercise can control your weight and improve your sleep quality. Exercises also give you the energy to stay alert and focused during the day. Yoga, resistance training, and aerobics are some of the exercises your doctor could recommend to strengthen your respiratory muscles and boost your breathing.
Steer Clear of Alcohol and Anxiety Medications
You should avoid taking anti-anxiety medicines and alcohol before going to bed because they can relax your throat muscles, obstructing your breathing. Examples of these medications include:
- Benzodiazepines, like Ativan, valium, Xanax, Klonopin
- Antihistamines like Benadryl and Claritin
- Opiates, like morphine, codeine, and Vicodin
- Sleeping pills
Common Complications Associated With Sleep Apnea Issues
In addition to daytime fatigue, when left untreated, sleep apnea can cause serious health complications, such as:
- Liver complications
- High blood pressure and heart issues
- High metabolic syndrome
- Issues with surgery and medication
If you are pregnant, sleep apnea could also increase your risk of various types of complications, like premature birth, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, and cesarean section. If you or a loved one has sleep apnea symptoms, you should consult a healthcare provider without delay to help determine the appropriate remedy.
Find a Seasoned Dentist Near Me
As you can see above, sleep apnea can be a deadly disorder because it interrupts or stops your breathing while asleep, causing you to wake up repeatedly during the night. In addition to affecting your ability to sleep and rest adequately, this condition can increase your risk of other health issues. However, the appropriate treatment can stop this issue or lessen its symptoms.
If you do not want to deal with the cumbersome nature of a CPAP machine or the issue is not severe enough to necessitate a surgical procedure, your dentist could recommend oral appliance therapy. The oral appliance your dentist will recommend resembles a sports mouthguard, and you should wear it at night before sleeping.
We invite you to call our dentists at Agoura Hills Advanced Dentistry at 818-878-7300 if you or a loved one has sleep apnea to learn more about your treatment options.