Sleeping disorders like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are common health conditions with serious side-effects. If you’ve noticed that you’re waking up with headaches or already feeling tired in the morning, don’t shrug it off as something normal. It could be that you’re suffering from a clinical condition like sleep apnea.
Understanding the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea can help you know when it’s the right time to see a specialist for therapeutic intervention.
Bruxism (Teeth Grinding and Clenching)
When you visit the dentist’s office, one of the first things that experts will notice are flat, worn teeth. Bruxism is a side-effect of sleep apnea because most people’s bodies clench their jaws together when they’re deprived of oxygen.
Over time, all of this clenching and grinding will lead to flattened and chipped tooth enamel. Your existing restorations may suffer physical damage as well.
High Blood Pressure
Your heart has to work harder than it’s supposed to when your body isn’t getting enough oxygen. As a result, people with sleep apnea typically experience cardiovascular health problems like high blood pressure.
Left untreated, the health condition can lead to incidents like stroke and heart attack. Sleep apnea isn’t just something that makes you feel tired throughout the day; it can be a serious risk to your life.
Large Neck Circumference
One of the top risk factors of sleep apnea is a thick or large neck. Although this is sometimes hereditary, it’s reflective of how much tissue there is to interfere with oxygen flow. When you sleep, those tissues can collapse against one another and completely block off your airway near the back of your mouth.
Snoring and Gasping for Air
Ask your family or roommates if they notice you snoring, going periods without breathing, or audibly gasping for air while you sleep.
Fatigue, Depression, and Weight Gain
When your body doesn’t get the rest it needs, it’s more challenging to maintain a positive mood and overall health. People in Conroe with sleeping disorders tend to feel worn out, put on more weight than they used to carry, and may even suffer from depression.
Migraine Headaches
People with sleeping disorders typically complain of chronic headaches and migraines. The pain may be noticeable first thing in the morning (due to muscle tension) or later in the day because of how tired your body is.
How Can a Periodontist Help?
We offer laser therapies that can help stop snoring and enlarge your airway at the back of your throat by reducing fatty or excess tissues. We also work with sleep specialists in Houston to provide home-based studies to diagnose your condition without having to complete an overnight study at a strange clinic.
Laser snoring treatments can be used alongside of oral sleep appliances to effectively manage conditions like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) without a bulky CPAP machine.
If you or a person you love suffers with snoring, now’s the time to get help. Schedule a consultation with our dental expert in The Woodlands today.
