Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is interrupted or constricted during sleep. This not only interferes with your ability to feel well rested, it puts you at serious risk of cardiovascular disease and other health conditions. Loud, intense snoring is a major warning sign that your breathing is obstructed while you sleep. Other symptoms include:

• Frequent waking
• Morning headaches
• Daytime grogginess

Sleep apnea is a very common condition that can affect anyone, even children. However, about half of sufferers are overweight. Men are twice as likely to develop this as women, and risk increases with age. Other risks including having narrow airways, sinus troubles or enlarged tonsils, as well as taking certain substances such as alcohol, sedatives, and medications.

The good news is that there are many ways to treat snoring and sleep apnea. For some, simple adjustments may improve the situation. But moderate to serious sufferers may need oral devices, medical devices, or surgery to relieve symptoms.

Treatments may include:

Lifestyle changes. Losing weight, adjusting your sleeping position from your back to your side, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and treating underlying medical conditions, such as sinus problems, are a few options.

Mouthpieces. These can offer relief by opening the lower jaw and adjusting the tongue to help keep your airways open while you sleep. Your dentist can custom fit an oral appliance to improve airflow while sleeping

Breathing devices. Referred to as continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP machines, these devices use gentle pressure to keep airways open.

Surgery. This may involve the use of advanced medical technologies or treatments to shrink, tighten, or remove excess tissue in the throat.

If you snore, don’t feel well rested, have headaches, nighttime waking or daytime irritability, then talk to the dentists at Masci & Hale to learn more about risks and treatments.