Can a Dentist Tell if I Have Sleep Apnea?

If you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night on a regular basis, then you may struggle with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This condition can lead to difficulty functioning in an ideal way each day and affect the ability of you and your partner to sleep at night. Fortunately, there are effective and proven ways to treat sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

The severity of sleep apnea may dictate the symptoms. However, some of the more commonly reported symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, gasping for air, insomnia, morning headaches, hypersomnia, difficulty functioning throughout the day, and irritability. Many of these symptoms may affect the person’s partner as well as themselves.

Snoring

Snoring is one of the more widely reported symptoms of sleep apnea as it affects the person’s partner as well as those in nearby rooms. Snoring often occurs because sleep apnea restricts the airways. The snoring can become incredibly loud. While this may not directly affect the person snoring, it can be a huge disruption for others.

Gasping for air

Sleep apnea causes the airway to close, which cuts off oxygen and leads to a sudden inability to breathe. This leads to the person suddenly waking up so that they can breathe. While it is not typically a life-threatening concern, it can lead to an inability to get a good night of rest each night.

Insomnia

Insomnia refers to a problem falling asleep and staying asleep. As discussed, the need to gasp for air causes the person to wake up, which does not allow them to sleep through the night as they should. It may also make it harder to fall asleep as well as the person knows they are likely to wake up in the middle of the night.

Morning headaches

Morning headaches are commonly reported as a symptom of sleep apnea. This may be due to a lack of oxygen caused by a restriction of airflow. Morning headaches often go away with sleep apnea treatment.

Difficulties with focus

Due to a lack of adequate sleep, many with sleep apnea have a hard time focusing the way they should during the day. This can make them less productive in the areas of life that are important to them, such as when spending time with family or at work.

Irritability

Irritability is also common with people who have sleep apnea as they are not able to get the necessary amount of sleep each night. This can affect the person’s overall mood and may lead them to be less pleasant when dealing with others.

Talk to a dentist about sleep apnea treatment

Many are surprised by how much better they (and their partner) sleep each night once they treat sleep apnea. If you have any of the aforementioned symptoms and want to find out which treatment solutions are available to you, call us or send us a message today. We are glad to answer your questions and schedule a consultation visit.

Request an appointment here: https://stonecanyondental.com or call Stone Canyon Dental at (972) 996-3191 for an appointment in our Sunnyvale office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Do I Have Sleep Apnea in Sunnyvale, TX.

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