SNORING & SLEEP  APNEA

Are your loved ones keeping you up at night with their snoring? Ask Dr. Dieska or Dr. Darling how a dental exam can help diagnose snoring and sleep apnea.

Your tongue is the strongest muscle in your body and it relaxes so much during sleep, that your tongue can get pulled into the back of your throat, blocking or closing the airways, which causes snoring & sleep apnea.What is the difference between snoring and sleep apnea?

Snoring usually occurs when the tongue is pulled into the back of the throat, narrowing the airway. The rapid movement of air through the passages is what actually causes the vibrations, and hence the loud noises. Snoring is only a mild sleep disorder, as the airways are only partially obstructed.

Sleep apnea is a serious condition that causes you to STOP BREATHING for at least 10 seconds or longer during sleep, and can lead to severe health problems such as stroke, heart disease, and hypertension. Sleep apnea can be life-threatening if the reduction in breathing causes too much of a decrease in the body’s required oxygen levels.

Is there anything I can change in my lifestyle to help reduce my snoring at night?

• Exercise to lose weight (but not vigorously before bedtime)
• Stop smoking
• Limit or avoid alcohol, especially at night
• Limit or avoid the use of sedatives

Our office can custom design an oral sleep appliance to help you more effectively manage snoring and sleep apnea.  Other options available include the use of certain nasal sprays, and some patients may even need surgery to eliminate snoring and sleep apnea.  Ask Dr. Dieska or Dr. Darling about the right treatment for you.  A physician referral is required before patient can receive a snoring appliance.