Sleep Apnea
If you consistently wake up feeling exhausted despite seemingly getting enough sleep, you could suffer from sleep apnea. This is caused by a blockage in your airways while you sleep, caused by excessive relaxation of the tissues and muscles in the back of your throat. One of the most common symptoms is loud, often violent-seeming snoring. When your airways are blocked, you momentarily stop breathing, causing your brain to snap awake and you to gasp for air. Every time this happens, your sleep cycle is interrupted. Unfortunately, you will not even be aware of this happening despite the fact that this cycle of waking up and falling asleep can happen hundreds of times a night. This lack of sleep can wreak havoc in your life, leading to persistent exhaustion, memory loss, poor cognitive function, high blood pressure, and more.
Treatment Options
Despite the difficulties that sleep apnea can cause, there are several treatment options to provide relief. CPAP machines are common and consist of a machine consistently pumping air into your airways while you are asleep, ensuring you are getting enough oxygen while keeping your throat free from blockage. As a more minimal, yet equally effective alternative, we can provide you with a custom sleep guard you wear at night. It adjusts the position of your tongue and jaw to help keep the muscles in your throat open while you sleep. Finally, we can provide laser snoring treatment to rid you of sleep apnea. For this high tech, we use a gentle laser that tightens the soft tissues in your throat, preventing the blockage of your airways.
Contact Us To Learn More About Sleep Apnea Treatment
When you suffer from sleep apnea you feel it in many ways, so it is crucial to treat it as soon as possible. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Ballard Neighborhood Dentist office in Seattle, WA, today at 206-789-2555. We also proudly serve the residents of Shoreline, Edmonds, Crown Hill, Loyal Heights, and all surrounding communities.
