Dangers of Sleep Apnea – Long Island, NY
Protect Your Well-Being Through Sleep Apnea Treatment
We all have experienced those mornings every once in a while when it’s hard to get out bed and get going for the day. However, if you and your partner regularly feel fatigued throughout the day after yet another night of your loud snoring, the problem may be more serious than you think. Read on to learn about why sleep apnea on Long Island can be harmful and how Beach Dental can help you overcome it using less invasive treatment. When you’re ready to do something about your sleep apnea, give us a call to set up a consultation.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea refers to a condition where you stop breathing for periods of time while you sleep. In most cases, it occurs as a result of facial tissues that have relaxed and blocked the person’s airways, causing an obstruction that often leads to snoring sounds. After a few seconds, the brain alerts the body awake enough to resume breathing. This prevents the person, and frequently their partner, from getting truly restful sleep.
Why Do You Need to Treat Sleep Apnea?
Aside from the obvious harm that depriving your body of oxygen can have, sleep apnea can have disastrous results on your health in many other ways. The lack of quality sleep impairs your response time and your ability to make quick decisions, which are essential for safe driving or operating machinery. In fact, studies show that drowsy driving may be just as dangerous as drunk driving. In addition, those with sleep apnea can struggle with depression or moodiness and with focusing or remembering, which influence performance at work, satisfaction in relationships, and other parts of life.
Also, sleep apnea has been directly connected to medical conditions. Researchers have found that patients with sleep apnea are much more likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease, premature birth for women, weight gain, and other complications.
How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
For many people, the first solution presented for sleep apnea is a CPAP machine, which forces oxygen into the airway. While effective for some, this treatment can be cumbersome and disrupt sleep even more than sleep apnea. At Beach Dental, we offer a simple, comfortable appliance that you wear while sleeping. This compact, portable mouthpiece repositions your lower jaw, keeping the tissues in your neck from collapsing and obstructing breathing. As a result, you and your brain are able to sleep soundly, recharge, and prepare for the next day.