People who snore sometimes have more to worry about than just the sound they make when they sleep. For instance, if you have obstructive sleep apnea, the snoring is just one of many different symptoms related to the sleep disorder. If you ignore it, you could leave yourself open to a host of health risks. Fortunately, we can help you deal with sleep apnea by designing a comfortable and conservative sleep appliance, which helps keep your airway clear of obstruction so you can breathe and sleep peacefully every night.
What obstructive sleep apnea looks like
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a condition that occurs when mouth and/or throat tissues collapse into your airway while you sleep. The snoring related to the condition is the sound caused by this obstruction, and the noise grows louder as space in your airway shrinks. Besides increasingly loud snoring, however, there’s more to consider about having sleep apnea, including:
- It means you stop breathing repeatedly – The “obstructive” part of OSA describes the blockage in your airway that occurs. Sleep apnea means that you stop breathing, and your snoring will stop once your airway is completely obstructed. It can take several moments before the lack of oxygen forces your body to wake in a panic and start breathing again. You may wake suddenly with a gasp, but most often, you’ll remain unaware of the repeated interruptions to your breathing.
- Your snoring is loud, but not to you – Because of the obstruction in your airway, the snoring related to sleep apnea is typically louder than most other instances of snoring. It will increase in volume as your airway becomes more obstructed, reaching levels that can wake your partner and anyone nearby. However, in most cases, it won’t wake you up; you’ll remain unaware of the noise, as well as the interruptions, making it more difficult for some people to know they have sleep apnea.
- The health consequences are compounding – The longer sleep apnea remains untreated, the more often you’ll experience interruptions to your breathing and sleep cycles. Sleep apnea episodes can have a compounding effect on your health over time, including increasing your risks of cardiovascular health problems and complications related to chronic sleep deprivation.
Learn how we can treat your sleep apnea
When you have sleep apnea, dealing with it as soon as possible is the best way to mitigate the impact it can have on your health and wellbeing. For more information, schedule a visit by calling Syosset Dental in Syosset, NY, today at 516-433-2211 or 516-921-1678.
