More than 20 million
Americans are thought to suffer from obstructive sleep
apnea (OSA), a dangerous sleep disorder in which your breathing stops
periodically as you sleep.
While there is no
shortage of studies linking sleep apnea to a heightened risk for potentially
deadly health problems such as stroke, hypertension and heart attack, the
condition is often dismissed by those who suffer from it as a mere nuisance. Perhaps
this is because the most common symptom of OSA is loud, chronic snoring.
Snoring is sometimes no
more than an annoyance to your sleep partner and family members. But regular,
heavy snoring accompanied by other sleep apnea symptoms
including waking up gasping for air, morning headaches and daytime fatigue can
be both bothersome and a danger to your health.
If you or a loved one
suffers from recurring snoring and other symptoms of sleep apnea, it’s important
to seek diagnosis and treatment. Today, dentists qualified in the field of dental sleep
medicine offer effective and comfortable sleep apnea treatments that may be
used alone or in conjunction with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
devices.