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Sleep Apnea Treatment Spring, TX

Snoring and daytime sleepiness may seem like common problems, but they can be indicators of a sleep disorder.

Sleep apnea decreases your quality of life and can even lead to problems like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Left untreated, sleep apnea can have deadly complications.

Our dentists at Stephens & Gatewood Dentistry provide patients in the Houston area with relief for their sleep apnea.

Stephens & Gatewood Dentistry has offices in Cypresswood and Auburn Lakes to make care more accessible to patients.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is the involuntary interruption of breathing during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is by far the most common. It occurs when your airway collapses at night, cutting off your air supply. In central sleep apnea, your brain stops sending the signals that tell your body to breathe. In either case, when your brain senses an oxygen shortage, it awakens your body just enough to resume breathing. This can happen hundreds of times a night, and you might never know it.

young man not breathing while sleeping, a sign of apnea

What Are the Dangers of Sleep Apnea?

Untreated sleep apnea is a potentially deadly condition. Studies indicate that people with sleep apnea might be 2-6 times more likely to die early than people without the condition.

That’s because sleep apnea can contribute to numerous potential causes of death, including:

  • Heart attacks
  • Stroke
  • Kidney failure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Dementia
  • Cancer
  • Depression and suicide
  • Car accidents
  • Heart attacks
  • Stroke
  • Kidney failure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Dementia
  • Cancer
  • Depression and suicide
  • Car accidents

When your brain senses an oxygen shortage, it doesn’t just wake up, it also signals your heart to pump harder and faster to distribute oxygen. This can lead to elevated blood pressure that normal medications can’t control. This can force obstructions into the narrow arteries of your heart and brain, causing heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure can also damage your kidneys, leading to premature failure.

Disrupting your sleep can disrupt your metabolism, making it harder for your body to control blood sugar levels (which also contributes to kidney failure). In addition, the sleep disruptions interfere with your brain’s waste removal system, which is active during sleep. This leads to a buildup of toxins that contribute to premature dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The link between sleep apnea and cancer is not as well established as other links, but the evidence is growing that sleep apnea not only increases cancer risk, it increases the risk of death from cancer.

Not getting enough sleep at night can lead to depression and increased suicide ideation and attempts. Plus, people with sleep apnea are up to five times more likely to be involved in a serious or deadly car accident than people without the condition.

The good news is that sleep apnea treatment can reduce these risks to the same level as people without sleep apnea.

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The Signs of Sleep Apnea

In addition to repeatedly stopping and starting your breathing when you sleep, you may notice other signs of obstructive sleep apnea. These signs include:

  • Snoring
  • Headaches upon waking
  • Waking up and then gasping for air
  • Dry mouth
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Inability to focus
  • Loss of joy
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Insomnia
  • Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia)
  • Low energy
  • Irritability
  • Snoring
  • Headaches upon waking
  • Waking up and then gasping for air
  • Dry mouth
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Inability to focus
  • Loss of joy
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Insomnia
  • Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia)
  • Low energy
  • Irritability

Your bed partner or family members may be the ones who notice the signs of sleep apnea first, so take them seriously when they express concern over these symptoms. There’s often a simple solution, and our Houston dental practice can help you.

What are sleep apnea symptoms

Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, an estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with obstructive sleep apnea making up the majority of cases. Unfortunately, 80% of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea cases go undiagnosed.

That’s because sleep apnea occurs during sleep, and some of the symptoms are confused with the normal state for many of us in our hectic daily lives.

The only way to determine whether you have sleep apnea is with a sleep test. Fortunately, these days most of us can take a sleep test at home in the comfort of our own bed.

The Houston sleep dentists at Stephens & Gatewood Dentistry can help you get a sleep test to find out if you have the condition.

Houston Sleep Solutions

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Sleep Apnea Treatment Options

If you determine you have sleep apnea, there are many treatment options, including:

  • Lifestyle modification
  • CPAP
  • Oral appliance therapy
  • Surgery
  • Lifestyle modification
  • CPAP
  • Oral appliance therapy
  • Surgery

Lifestyle modification is not a standalone treatment option for sleep apnea. However, it can support other sleep apnea treatments. Losing weight, getting more exercise, sleeping on your side with a good supportive pillow, and avoiding alcohol too close to bedtime can all reduce the severity of your sleep apnea.

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is what most doctors prescribe for sleep apnea. It’s called the “gold standard” of sleep apnea treatment because, if used properly, it can essentially cure your sleep apnea. CPAP works by forcing air down your throat to keep your airway open. This ensures you have a constant supply of air, even if your brain stops telling your body to breathe. The only problem is that it’s an uncomfortable treatment option, so only about half of people prescribed the treatment use it long-term.

A Houston sleep dentist can provide you with oral appliance therapy, a comfortable, convenient alternative to CPAP. Similar to a mouthguard, this is an appliance you put in your mouth at night before you go to sleep. It repositions your jaw to hold your airway open. It’s so comfortable and convenient that most people use it all night every night, making it at least as effective as CPAP. The main limitation is that it only treats obstructive sleep apnea.

Surgery is considered a treatment of last resort for sleep apnea. Traditional sleep apnea surgery removes some airway tissues to help your airway stay open. This provides some short-term benefits, but these vanish over time. In addition, people with sleep apnea have a high risk of surgical complications, making it a less attractive treatment option.

Treat Sleep Apnea in Houston

The solution to your sleep apnea may be as easy as wearing a custom oral appliance when you sleep. The dentists at Stephens and Gatewood Dentistry create custom oral appliances that help you sleep soundly and without interruption. Our friendly dentists also work alongside sleep medicine specialists to develop treatment plans tailored to your unique needs.

If you’re ready for a better night’s sleep, fill out our contact form or call our offices serving the Houston area from Spring, TX.

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