Sleep Apnea Glendale

Sleep apnea is a condition associated with shallow or interrupted breathing during sleep. This is a medical state that can be treated and in most cases cured. Sleep apnea is a common problem in Glendale and other cities that affects adults and children.

The apnea syndrome can contribute to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction. Sleep apnea can result in a memory and concentration impairment as well. Since the apnea syndrome worsens the quality of your sleep  it makes you sleepy during the daytime. Driving and other concentration requiring activities become dangerous. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or think you might have a sleep apnea, call 1-818-578-2324 for a consultation.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common disorder of sleep. This is accompanied by a strong snore and a series of deep breaths. Studies show that sleep apnea is accompanied by a significant number of breath stops in sleep, which cause lack of oxygen. The lack of oxygen changes your regular heart rate and blood pressure.

Snoring can be a warning sign that normal breathing is not taking place during sleep. The tongue plays a major role in snoring because it has a tendency to relapse (fallback) into the airway when sleeping. For millions of people across the country, the ability to maintain regular breathing during sleep is impossible. As a result, they do not receive oxygen their body needs to rejuvenate from. If the condition is left untreated it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

 

During sleep, the throat muscles relax.  When air passes through them, the throat vibrates. This vibration is called snoring.  Sleep apnea is among the primary causes of snoring. Having enlarged tonsils can also make the airway more narrow and increase the vibrations (snoring).

Not every snoring person suffers from breathing problem and, on the contrary, not all people with apnea snore. The main symptoms of apnea in adults are:

• Irritability;
• Memory impairment;
• Constant feeling of fatigue;
• Chronic lack of sleep.

Our office performs a comprehensive head and neck evaluation, extensive health and dental history, screening exam and diagnostic tests, as well as overnight sleep screening. When indicated, we refer severe conditions to a sleep specialist for a medical assessment and sleep study.

Common Signs And Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

• Drowsiness during the day;
• Decrease in overall performance;
• Noisy snoring followed by breathing;
• Choking or suffocating snoring during sleep;
• Relatives complain of your loud snoring at night and frequent breathing stops in a dream;
• Headaches in the morning;
• Irritability or mood change;
• Stress;
• Difficulty concentrating or losing memory;
• High blood pressure;
• Falling asleep during the quiet moments of the day.

The Main Causes of Sleep Apnea

The following causes can lead to the Sleep Apnea disease:

• Excess weight
• Age (chances are doubled or tripled after age 65)
• Ethnic origins (African-Americans and Asians have a higher risk of sleep apnea)
• Genetics
• The circumference of the neck (the bigger the neck, the higher the risk)
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Diabetes
• Smoking

Types of Sleep Apnea

The sleep apnea manifests itself in three forms:

• Complex Sleep Apnea
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Central Sleep Apnea

Complex Sleep Apnea

Complex sleep Apnea is usually a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a type when patients have an ENT or neurological cause. This type is the most common. Your respiratory tract contracts during sleep due to a decrease in muscle tone, malformations (palatine tongue, tongue), excess weight.

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) causes the air flow in the nasal cavity or mouth to stop during sleep. It reduces the flow of oxygen into the brain, which quickly leads to incomplete awakening. At this time, muscle tone is restored and breathing is normalized.

A person with OSAS falls back asleep, but the events described can be repeated again and again. Often a person with OSAS can wake up up to 100 times a night, violating the continuity of the needed sleep. The next morning he or she usually does not remember these numerous awakenings, but he or she feels bad: broken, listless, tired and sleepy.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea is associated with disruption of the brain center responsible for respiratory function. In such cases, holding the breath occurs because the body does not understand when to breathe.

Sleep apnea has consequences for your life energy, your intellectual activity and overtime for your health in general. If there is no treatment, sometimes it can even be fatal. The feeling of suffocation and frequent awakenings are responsible for a significant decrease in the quality of sleep. They also lead to a state of drowsiness throughout the day.

Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea

Diagnosis is carried out in three stages. The first is an examination of the Glendale dentist who identifies the primary signs of the disease and, if necessary, directs the patient for further examination. Further, a special test is performed, the results of which allow more accurate diagnosis of the presence of breath holdings. The final diagnosis is made only on the basis of a polysomnographic study. In the polysomnographic study the patient, being under the supervision of the Glendale dentist, for some time is immersed in sleep. In some cases, the use of X-rays is also required to detect the disease.

Treatment Methods of Sleep Apnea

The treatment method of sleep apnea depends on the level of diagnosed sleep apnea: mild, moderate or severe.

Mild sleep apnea treatment:

In the case of a mild sleep apnea, the best advice is to change your lifestyle to improve sleep:

• Weight loss: Weight is an important factor in apnea. Weight reduction of only a few pounds often improves the situation.  The number of episodes of apnea per night reduces.
• No active sport before going to sleep: Intense activity before sleep can damage your sleep. But keep exercising during the day for weight loss.
• Think about the cycles of sleep: A full sleep and early bedtime improve the depth and the quality of sleep.
• Avoid alcohol in the evening: Alcohol and some drugs increase the relaxation of the throat muscles and reduce the reaction time in case of apnea.
• Sleep on your side: Sleep on a pillow that holds only the upper part of the face. This allows the jaws not to go too far during muscle relaxation, and not to narrow the upper respiratory tract which causes apnea.

Moderate or severe sleep apnea treatment

With moderate or severe sleep apnea, the Glendale dentist will choose the most adapted method for you to reduce or eliminate these sleep disorders:

• Dental devices: Using oral appliances or snore guards can help deliver air to your lungs and prevent the vibrating motions that cause snoring. Treatments may include Oral Appliance Therapy, which has been recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the National Institutes. These appliances are comfortable to wear and can be effective for a whole night. Our dentist can also appoint this simple dental devices for a number of cases of mild apnea.
• CPAP Sleep Apnea Treatment – Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment. The CPAP pressure unit is specially adapted to the needs of each person to prevent the collapse of the airway or throat. The CPAP machine ensures a constant movement of air into your lungs so you can enjoy a restful night of sleep without disturbing your partner. The pressure varies depending on the severity of sleep apnea.
• Radiofrequency procedure: Radio frequencies are used to compress the tissues of the throat or tongue, which frees more space in the throat. The success rate is unstable and does not always give satisfactory results as expected.
• Surgery: The surgery is aimed at increasing the airflow by reducing the obstacles in the airways.

The risk group for sleep apnea includes people:

• Relatives complain of manifestations of snoring during sleep,
• Can feel daytime sleepiness,
• Work in conditions of stress and hypodynamia,
• Have cardiovascular diseases.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or think you might be, call 1-818-578-2324 to schedule an appointment with the best dentist in Glendale. In Smile Makeover of LA, we are happy to answer your questions about sleep apnea and sleep apnea treatment options.