Dental Sleep Medicine
Dentist Des Plaines
Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders. Breathing is impaired or completely stopped, a single event lasts at least 10 seconds and typical sufferer has hundreds of events per night. Blood oxygen level falls significantly eventually causing irreversible brain damage, heart attack and stroke during sleep. Untreated sleep apnea can take up to 12 years of your life.
People with untreated sleep apnea are twelve times more likely to be involved in an automobile accident.
How Common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
40 % of adults over 40 snore
9 % of men and 4 % of women suffer from some form of sleep apnea
Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The cause of obstructive sleep apnea has everything to do with the airway. Airway blockage can be caused by large neck circumference from excess weight, large tongue or tonsils, large and heavy muscles of the neck ( football players for example).
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
If you think you may have sleep apnea, consider the following symptoms:
- Loud snoring that lasts all night
- Daytime sleepiness no matter how much sleep you get
- High Blood Pressure
- Morning headaches
- Acid Reflux
- Diabetes
- Nocturnal bruxism