Grab Dream Dental Smile RSS FeedDoctors believe that there are more than 18 million people living with sleep apnea and many of them are undiagnosed. Sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in breathing throughout the night.
More men than women have sleep apnea, but in women the incidences increase after menopause, most likely as a result of hormonal changes.
Obviously sleep apnea disrupts your sleep, however undiagnosed sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, memory problems and diabetes.
Watch for these signs that you may have sleep apnea:
- Loud or chronic snoring - Snoring is a milder form of airway obstruction. If you’re snoring loudly, chronically and keeping your partner awake, it could be a sign of sleep apnea and you should talk to a sleep apnea dentist.
- You gasp for air – Sleep apnea suffers commonly pause in breathing. Those pauses are often followed by gasping, choking or snorting. In severe cases, you may experience frenzied gasps for air every 15 to 30 seconds throughout the night.
- Exhausted all day – Poor sleeping at night leads to sleepiness during the day. But this is one of the most often overlooked signs of sleep apnea. If you’re spending seven to nine hours in bed per night and still feel sleepy during the day, it could be a sign of sleep apnea.
- High blood pressure - Sleep apnea is linked to hypertension. When you stop or pause in breathing, this causes your blood pressure to spike.
- Use the restroom often at night – This could be linked to aging, but it is also a classic sign of sleep apnea. The stress on your body caused by not breathing triggers a full-bladder sensation.
- Wake up with a headache - Frequent pauses in breathing during the night decrease the oxygen levels in the brain, causing pain.
If you suffer from all or some of these signs, the best thing to do is to contact Dream Smile Dental, a sleep apnea dentist, and schedule a consultation. We will do some diagnostic tests in the office and then most likely send you home with a sleep monitor. This will give us the necessary information to determine the level of sleep apnea you suffer from and be able to recommend the ideal treatment option for you.
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