Hoover, AL, Dentist Can Help Treat Your Sleep Apnea

In our Hoover, AL, dentist’s office, we believe strongly in taking a comprehensive approach to dentistry. After all, maintaining your good health involves a lot more than just your teeth. One major health concern that some people deal with is sleep apnea, and what many don’t realize is that your Hoover, AL, dentist may actually be able to help you with this potentially life-threatening condition!

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder that affect you while you are sleeping, and it is marked by one or more pauses in breathing throughout the night. When you stop breathing in your sleep, your body and brain begins to be deprived of oxygen. Eventually, your body realizes that a potential emergency is about to happen, so it jump starts you into breathing again – often with a sudden, sharp intake of breath. If you have ever woken up coughing or gasping, that could certainly have been the result of sleep apnea.

How Do You Know If You Have Sleep Apnea?

If you show any of the following signs or symptoms, then you should speak with your healthcare provider about being evaluated for sleep apnea.

• Feeling unrested even after a full night’s sleep
• Difficulty staying away while sitting down or driving
• Trouble focusing on tasks that require sustained attention
• Frequent, unexplained headaches

In addition, your sleep partner, if you have one, may observe one or more of the following while you are asleep:

• Loud snoring
• Excessively long pauses between breaths
• Sudden gasps or choking noises while asleep

Our Hoover, AL, Dentist Discusses the Dangers of Sleep Apnea

Why Is Sleep Apnea Dangerous?

When your body experiences an oxygen shortage every night for months or even years, it can begin to have all kinds of health problems. Sleep apnea increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, weight gain, memory loss, anxiety, and decreased libido. In addition, your sustained exhaustion from not sleeping well at night can affect your overall quality of life and general sense of happiness.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

One thing that doctors often prescribe for sleep apnea sufferers is a CPAP machine that forces air into your lungs. Unfortunately, CPAP machines come with their own difficulties. From the loud noise of the air flow to the restrictiveness of the mask and tubes, CPAP can end up causing a whole different type of sleep disturbance for you!

What many doctors don’t tell their patients is that there is a great alternative to CPAP therapy that you can get at many LOCATION dental offices. The snore guards and sleep apnea devices provided by dentists are small, unobtrusive, and every bit as effective at treating sleep apnea as a CPAP machine.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, or if you believe you may have sleep apnea, talk to your doctor. Then give your Hoover, AL, dentist a call to find out whether they offer sleep apnea solutions. If they don’t, feel free to reach out to Perrigo Dental Care in Hoover, AL, where our sleep apnea treatment can get you back to feeling rested and happy.

This information is not meant as medical advice. It is provided solely for education. Our Hoover, AL, dental office would be pleased to discuss your unique circumstances and needs as they relate to this topic. Call 205-822-7822 or click here to schedule an appointment with one of our friendly, expert dentists today.