Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea

People with obstructive sleep apnea can range from being unaware, to ignoring, to taking steps to improve. Our goal is to help navigate all three of these different situations and provide the knowledge, tips, and guidance to better health. At All Smiles Sleep Solutions, we understand the benefits and downside to obstructive sleep apnea. We can offer solutions as unique as the problem. There are more options than the often prescribed CPAP, and we can discuss the varying non-surgical and surgical treatments.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which the person is not getting adequate oxygen due to lack of proper breathing. There are two main types of sleep apnea, central and obstructive, though some people may have a combination of both.

Central sleep apnea is a condition in which there is a disconnect of your brain not telling your muscles to breathe like it should. The result can be a person stopping breathing most often while you sleep because you are not consciously thinking to do so.

There are many risks of sleep apnea. Specifically, obstructive sleep apnea is more common. This cessation of breathing occurs because the airway is cut off. This can be due to a wide variety of reasons including: 

• The tongue slips backwards while sleeping
• The throat has excessive tissue due to weight gain
• A deviated septum in the nose, either congenital or following an injury
• Inflamed tissue in the nose caused by allergies
• Structural makeup of your jaw or throat including natual structural differences in males 

People with obstructive sleep apnea will have their airpipe cut off, either somewhat or entirely, decreasing the amount of oxygen that their body takes in. When oxygen levels drop, the brain then releases a stress hormone to wake the person just enough to take in a deep breath. This can be repeated many times a night for long periods of time. It may not seem like much, but the constant drop in oxygen, release of stress hormones, and disruption of REM can play havoc on the body. There will be immediate problems such as exhaustion, and long-term health issues such as heart and blood pressure issues as a result.

Benefits of Solutions for Sleep Apnea

We can help you get a better, more complete, night’s sleep. We first need to review the airway, including the nose, throat, and tongue, and then we can discuss both non-surgical and surgical options. Non-surgical solutions can include retainer-like devices designed to bring your lower jaw forward or hold your tongue in place. Surgical solutions can include removing excess tissue, correcting a septum, or a turbinate reduction.

The benefits of finding a solution to obstructive sleep apnea are a better night’s sleep and it can help your heart health. Finding a solution to obstructive sleep apnea helps with the heart since it assists with uninterrupted REM, better blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease, lowers risk of stroke, and more.