Sleep Disorders and Treatment Options
It is hard for many people to sleep well at night. Many times, a person will wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. This is often a good indication that a sleep disorder of some kind is present. There are other symptoms as well that include snoring loudly, and being drowsy all day long even after 8 hours or more of sleep. Self-diagnosis of these conditions is very hard to make because there are so many different sleep disorders that it is necessary to seek professional help.
Sleep disorders that are most common in American adults include restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy. Restless leg syndrome makes a person feel like they must constantly move their legs because they are itching, or because they feel like something is crawling on their flesh. Narcolepsy is based on a feeling of intense lethargy that plagues the individual throughout the day. It can make driving and operating machinery dangerous and also cause an overall drop in productivity. Both narcolepsy and insomnia can often be successfully managed with the right M.D. treatment plan and prescription medication.
Insomnia is not always the culprit, however. Sometimes people who grid their teeth at night (a condition known as Bruxism) go to dentist seeking treatment for what they think is a side effect of insomnia. During the course of the examination, the dentist discovers that the person is actually suffering from an entirely different sleep disorder—sleep apnea.
This condition is characterized by loud snoring and waking up suddenly throughout the night. While this resembles the restlessness of insomnia, it is generated by an entirely different root cause. The most common form of this sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when throat muscles collapse upon the airway. Dentists can do a great deal to help a patient with sleep apnea by treating the condition with a sleep apnea oral appliance. Such a device puts tension on the lower jaw and keeps the air passageway open enough for normal breathing to occur.
Severe OSA may require surgery to treat. Other remedies such as RFTA may need to be performed. The most common non-surgical remedy is a CPAP machine which pushes compressed air into the throat to maintain regular breathing. Most patients who use a sleep apnea oral appliance do so because they previously tried CPAP and found it uncomfortable.
Related Articles on Our Website:
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Information
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Do not neglect talking to a doctor or dentist if you think you may have a sleep disorder. Some of the more severe syndromes can develop into life-threatening conditions. Call our office and make an appointment to get on the road to recovery with a sound and affordable treatment plan.
Sleep disorders that are most common in American adults include restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy. Restless leg syndrome makes a person feel like they must constantly move their legs because they are itching, or because they feel like something is crawling on their flesh. Narcolepsy is based on a feeling of intense lethargy that plagues the individual throughout the day. It can make driving and operating machinery dangerous and also cause an overall drop in productivity. Both narcolepsy and insomnia can often be successfully managed with the right M.D. treatment plan and prescription medication.
Insomnia is not always the culprit, however. Sometimes people who grid their teeth at night (a condition known as Bruxism) go to dentist seeking treatment for what they think is a side effect of insomnia. During the course of the examination, the dentist discovers that the person is actually suffering from an entirely different sleep disorder—sleep apnea.
This condition is characterized by loud snoring and waking up suddenly throughout the night. While this resembles the restlessness of insomnia, it is generated by an entirely different root cause. The most common form of this sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when throat muscles collapse upon the airway. Dentists can do a great deal to help a patient with sleep apnea by treating the condition with a sleep apnea oral appliance. Such a device puts tension on the lower jaw and keeps the air passageway open enough for normal breathing to occur.
Severe OSA may require surgery to treat. Other remedies such as RFTA may need to be performed. The most common non-surgical remedy is a CPAP machine which pushes compressed air into the throat to maintain regular breathing. Most patients who use a sleep apnea oral appliance do so because they previously tried CPAP and found it uncomfortable.
Related Articles on Our Website:
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Information
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Do not neglect talking to a doctor or dentist if you think you may have a sleep disorder. Some of the more severe syndromes can develop into life-threatening conditions. Call our office and make an appointment to get on the road to recovery with a sound and affordable treatment plan.
Labels: obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, sleep apnea, sleep disorders
posted by Dental Expert at
3:14 PM
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