San Francisco and Marin CA
Does your significant other snore? This can cause several problems in your life: impeding your own ability to get rest, leading to daytime fatigue and even, potentially, having a negative impact on your relationship. Snoring also is the primary warning sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a serious sleep breathing disorder that can have a host of possible consequences, some of them life-threatening. That means, if your partner is a frequent loud snorer, then they should undergo a screening for sleep apnea. We explore this topic in greater detail, today on the blog.
Sleep apnea and its risks
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where breathing becomes more difficult or completely disrupted while sleeping, due to a blockage in the airway. This blockage usually occurs from a collapse of soft tissue into the airway due to relaxed throat muscles, or because the tongue slides back into the throat because there is not enough room to accommodate the tongue in the mouth. This blockage may be partial or complete. Regardless, each time one of these blockages occurs, oxygen levels in the body drop until the brain believes that you are choking to death. Someone with sleep apnea may never wake up during one of these blockages, which are known as apneic events, but each event disrupts the sleep cycle and means you spend less time in the deepest stages of sleep, which are crucial to restoring the mind and body. The effects on sleep magnify when you consider that someone with severe, untreated sleep apnea may experience hundreds of these apneic events each night.
The importance of treating sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that will not go away on its own. Without the proper diagnosis and treatment, a case of sleep apnea continues to get worse, further degrading the quality of your sleep and, with it, compromising your overall health. People living with advanced, untreated sleep apnea also face a higher risk of a host of chronic and potentially deadly health disorders, including cardiac disease, stroke, diabetes and even certain forms of cancer.
How to convince your partner to undergo a sleep apnea screening
- Be supportive: You can demonstrate the importance of this appointment by attending with your partner.
- Gather proof: You may try recording your partner when they sleep, then show them the video or audio so they can see the severity of their snoring. Another option is to keep notes on their sleeping patterns at night, as well as how often or how loudly he or she snores.
- Use technology to help: A smart watch can record a variety of data about you, including information on your sleep, the quality of your sleep and any fluctuations in heart rate during the night.
Sleep apnea treatment in San Francisco and Marin in California
Although a diagnosis of sleep apnea only should come from a qualified sleep specialist, Glen Park Dental can treat your sleep apnea through a course of oral appliance therapy. We fabricate a customized mouthpiece for a sleep apnea patient, which is designed to guide the lower jaw forward and maintain a wide and open airway throughout the night. To learn more about our sleep apnea treatment or any of the other services that we provide, schedule a consultation by calling (415) 585-1500 or contacting us online.
