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An estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. If you are among the sleep apnea sufferers, you may be searching for solutions to fix your condition. Turn to the experts at Volterra Dental in Los Alamitos, California. Dr. Richard Blackburn can help treat your sleep apnea and set you on the path to better sleep.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that involves stops and starts in breathing while asleep. When the patient stops breathing during sleep, the brain sends out signals to jumpstart breathing, resulting in the gasping, snorting sounds associated with snoring. Common symptoms include loud snoring, restless sleep, daytime fatigue, morning headaches, irritability, and difficulty focusing. A proper diagnosis with a physician is necessary before you can begin sleep apnea treatment.
Options for fixing sleep apnea
The solution or therapy recommended may depend upon the severity of your condition. Effective sleep apnea treatments share a common goal in helping you breathe better while sleeping. This improves your quality of sleep to help you feel more rested. A treatment plan may include one or a combination of the following:
- Lifestyle changes such as weight loss, nasal strips, altered sleeping positions, and reduced alcohol intake may improve your quality of sleep.
- Oral appliances maintain a proper jaw position to keep the airway clear while you are asleep.
- A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine uses forced air pressure to open the airway.
Oral appliances for sleep apnea
Oral appliances are an easy to care for, portable alternative to bulky CPAP machines. Similar to a mouth guard, the device is specially designed using impressions of the patient’s teeth to ensure it fits the mouth and jaw properly. The device comfortably and gently moves the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open. Some sleep apnea appliances keep the tongue in place, so it does not fall back over the windpipe. This increases the space around the airway to help you breathe more easily and get a full, peaceful night’s sleep.
If you are ready to fix your sleep apnea, contact Volterra Dental in Los Alamitos, California, for sleep apnea solutions. Call (562) 501-3188.