Do you feel like you just can’t get enough sleep? Or do you often wake up with a headache in the morning? Such problems can be caused by numerous factors like night shifts, stress, or overload with work, but it can also be due to sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea.
In fact, more than 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders. Out of those, 22 million suffer from sleep apnea – a condition, which can lead to high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, diabetes, and other serious health complications.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder, characterized by pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep. Each pause, which can happen many times during a night, can last for a few seconds to several minutes and is usually followed by loud snoring.

There are three forms of sleep apnea: obstructive (OSA), central (CSA), and a combination of the two, called complex. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common one and is caused by obstruction of the upper airway. Central sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. A combination of the two former described conditions is called complex sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

You should consider consulting a medical professional in case you experience any of the following symptoms:
• Chronic snoring
• Early morning headaches
• Waking up with a sore or dry throat
• Waking up choking or gasping for air
• Daytime sleepiness
• Restless sleep
• Mood changes

You can do something about it!

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should first consider changing your lifestyle and treatment options like weight loss, avoiding alcohol and smoking, as well as physical training. Sleep apnea can also be treated with variety of surgical procedures.
However, the most common and successful treatment for moderate and severe sleep apnea is the usage of sleep apnea appliance.
Sleep apnea appliances are worn while sleeping to keep your throat and airway open. This reduces daytime sleepiness and lowers the number of times you pause or stop breathing during your sleep.

The variety of sleep apnea appliances, available on the market is huge and you can buy one directly online. However, you should always check with your Burien dentist before ordering one, as such devices might need some modification to meet your individual needs.

If you are resident of Burien, WA, you can rely on the professional advice and services of Dr. Lee from Burien Family Dental Care. Dr. Lee, who is one of the best dental specialist in Burien would offer you a custom-made oral appliance to eliminate snoring and as part of a treatment plan for sleep apnea.

Interesting to know

Did you know that it’s not just overweight men, who suffer from sleep apnea? The stereotype of a sleep apnea patient is an overweight or obese man, who snores. While there’s certain truth there, as obesity is a major risk factor, this the stereotype falls apart with age. In fact, clinical studies show that women after menopausal age are as likely to be affected of sleep apnea as men.
Famous women, who are suffering from sleep apnea include Rosie O’Donnell, Roseanne Barr and Anne Rice.