The Surprising Dangers of Sleep Apnea

So one bad night of sleep turns into two, and before you know it, you start to realize that you’re simply not well-rested in general.

Do you wake up frequently during the night? Maybe you get up in the morning only to feel groggy. This could be due to many reasons, but one of the most common is sleep apnea. This disorder affects at least 22 million Americans. However, what’s even more staggering: it’s estimated that around 80% of cases are undiagnosed. Unfortunately, sleep apnea comes with some serious health risks that span far beyond snoring and feeling tired, which leaves those who haven’t recognized the problem in trouble. Read on to learn about the hidden, potentially life-threatening dangers of sleep apnea and what sleep dentists like me can do to treat it.

First, What Exactly is Sleep Apnea?

There are various types of sleep apnea, but the most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This occurs when the airway becomes blocked by relaxed tongue and/or throat muscles. When the airway collapses, it interrupts breathing, which makes it difficult to sleep all the way through the night. These interruptions in breathing can even happen hundreds of times in the same sleep cycle. The brain, recognizing your trouble in breathing, keeps your body on high alert, thereby stopping you from achieving deep rest.

How Do You Know if You’re Affected?

There are many different sleep disorders, and sleep apnea occurs at night, making it difficult to detect on your own. Even if your partner tells you that you snore loudly, it does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. The only way to know with certainty is to complete a sleep test with an expert – I usually refer patients at my office to local specialists. Until then, however, here are the most common signs that you and your sleep partner can be on the lookout for:

• Loud, consistent snoring
• Waking up gasping for breath
• Daytime drowsiness
• Mood swings
• Morning headaches
• Lack of focus
• Problems with memory

The Dangers of Sleep Apnea

Unfortunately, loud snoring and poor sleep is only the beginning. Without treatment, there are many long-term effects of sleep apnea, including increased risk of serious health issues like strokes and high blood pressure. Plus, it can make heart attacks up to 3 times more likely. As if these internal health risks weren’t dangerous enough, sleep apnea also increases the likelihood of car accidents by up to 5 times. In pregnant women, untreated sleep apnea drastically increases the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and other life-threatening complications for both mother and baby.

While less deadly, it’s also important to know that sleep apnea raises risks of the following conditions and symptoms:

• Weight gain
• Depression/anxiety
• Adult asthma
• Acid reflux
• Memory loss
• Inability to focus

Don’t Wait to Get Treatment

The sooner you can recognize that you may have sleep apnea, the better. Is getting more sound sleep and improved health be worth the time and effort? Once you know for sure, contact a sleep apnea expert, which may include your dentist! Dentists can provide treatment in the form of oral appliances. These are custom-made, comfortable mouthpieces that are designed to reposition the jaw and/or tongue while you sleep to keep the airway open for easy breathing and better rest. Many patients prefer this option to the inconvenient, irritating, and cumbersome CPAP machine.

Don’t let sleep apnea and the serious dangers it can cause get in the way of your well-being. If you experience these common symptoms, you need to seek a diagnosis and proper treatment. Act now and get in touch with a sleep dentist who can get you back to the rest you deserve!