Quick: name three sleep apnea symptoms! Sleep apnea is a widespread concern that can lead to serious trouble for your overall health and your quality of life. But by recognizing the warning signs, you know when to seek treatment and avoid these complications. Our team of sleep experts in Wheaton, IL talks about the most common symptoms and looks at a possible solution.
The Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
When should you seek treatment for sleep apnea? You should talk to our team when you begin to exhibit potential warning signs. For example, chronic snoring is often reported, as is waking with dry mouth or experiencing headaches during the day. Exhaustion during the day is common, as is irritability and waking up in the night choking or gasping for air. When one or more of these potential warning signs becomes the norm, you need to seek treatment right away.
Causes and Complications
Sleep apnea means you stop breathing multiple times in the night, even if you don’t remember this happening. Your cessation of breathing occurs when soft tissues in the back of the throat and in the mouth become too relaxed and collapse, cutting off airflow completely. This interrupts your sleep cycle, and you don’t get the deep, uninterrupted REM sleep necessary to stay awake and feel alert during the day. Eventually, the disorder could lead to high blood pressure, moodiness, anxiety, trouble with memory, trouble focusing on tasks at work or school, and a strained immune system. The stress on your heart health could eventually leave you vulnerable to heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. The disorder is also linked to type 2 diabetes and depression.
Ensuring a Good Night’s Rest
Our team wants to offer a solution, so you enjoy a good night’s rest, better quality of life, and improved overall health. To get started, schedule a visit for an examination and diagnosis, so we can see if you benefit from an oral appliance. This CPAP-alternative is an oral appliance that you wear during the night. While it fits like a simple mouthguard, the device moves your jaw and tongue forward slightly, which prevents the collapse of soft tissues and keeps your breathing from being interrupted. Since you rest without interruption, you wake feeling rested and refreshed, and avoid symptoms of the disorder. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat sleep apnea, then contact our team when you experience the warning signs.
Treating Your Sleep Disorder In Wheaton, IL
Our team wants to make sure you know when to seek treatment, so you can enjoy a better quality of life. To learn more about recognizing the signs you have a sleep disorder, or to schedule a consultation, give us a call at Wheaton Dental Sleep Center at (630)665-5555.