November 30, 2015

If you are unreasonably exhausted during the day, suffer from morning or night headaches, or wake with an unrefreshed feeling, you may be experiencing sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes the air passages to close off or narrow, decreasing or preventing breathing for short periods while you are sleeping. There are symptoms you may notice and others that are not observed because you are asleep. A health professional or general dentist in Mount Pleasant, SC can check your symptoms and provide treatment options.

Risk Factors of OSA

Certain factors can increase your risk for developing sleep apnea, include aging, being male, family history, spinal deformities, ethnicity, menopause, and conditions that may cause head and facial abnormalities. Some people with OSA have a markedly small, receding jaws. Additionally, bone malformations of the throat, mouth, or nose can hinder normal breathing, resulting in sleep apnea.

OSA Treatment Tools

Many people are unaware that treatment tools for obstructive sleep apnea include lifestyle changes and changing some sleeping habits, such as elevating the head of your bed or sleeping on your side. Here are five sleep apnea tools that you probably do not know about:

  1. Quitting smoking, because nicotine relaxes the muscles that keep airways open
  2. Getting plenty of sleep, as apnea episodes occur with insufficient sleep
  3. Treating allergies or colds promptly, including a congested nose
  4. Limiting use of alcohol and medicine before sleeping
  5. Losing weight to manage sleep apnea

An additional sleep apnea treatment option is oral appliance therapy or using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help you breathe at night.

Contact Us Today

For more information about sleep apnea symptoms and to see if you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy, Dr. Kevin Hogan and our team of professionals at Smiles by Hogan is here to help. Contact us today at 843-639-5044.

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