Why do I always feel tired, even after a full night of sleep?
Getting a full night of rest is essential for maintaining your overall health. While you sleep your body rebuilds, restores and rejuvenates. Sleeping uninterrupted for at least 8 hours a night helps you improve your concentration, creativity and your mood.
What if you are waking up hundreds of times a night, and didn’t even know it?
Many people suffer from disrupted sleep due to a condition called obstructive sleep apnea. OSA occurs when soft tissues and the throat muscles relax and fall inward blocking the airway during sleep. Patient experience repeated cessation of air and wake to gasp for breath.
Patients who do not treat their sleep apnea are more susceptible to developing serious systemic medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. If you believe you are suffering from OSA, it is important to visit Dr. Scott Finlay at our Annapolis, MD dentist office.
How Do I Know If I Have OSA?
Most patients with sleep apnea snore loudly. Snoring is generally what pushes patients to seek care for sleep apnea. If you or your partner snore it is not necessarily caused by sleep apnea, but you should notify your physician or dentist so that you can be properly screened. Early diagnosis and treatment of OSA can prevent secondary health complications.
Those with OSA may experience:
- Chronic fatigue
- Dry Mouth
- Snoring
- Headaches especially in the morning
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression
- Waking suddenly gasping for air
- Increased risk of high blood pressure
OSA Risk Factors
There are many risk factors and signs and symptoms that could indicate you or your partner are suffering from OSA. Although OSA is most prevalent amongst male patients over the age of 40, it can also affect females and younger patients of all genders. Patients who are overweight, smoke, or have high blood pressure may also be at higher risk for sleep apnea. Another common factor in patients with OSA is a large neck circumference.
Treatment Options For Sleep Apnea
A personalized oral health check-up and physical exam will help Dr. Finlay to develop a treatment plan to address sleep apnea. If necessary, Dr. Finlay may consult with your general physician to ensure proper treatment. Dr. Finlay offers oral sleep appliance therapy. For mild to moderate sleep apnea, this custom-fit mouthpiece can reposition the jaw and/or tongue to prevent the throat tissue from closing. Much like a mouthguard, the sleep apnea mouthpiece will be custom molded to your mouth for comfort and ease of wear.