Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder characterized
by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. The term sleep apnea is
derived from the Greek etymology meaning “without breath”.
Breathing pauses can last anywhere from several seconds to minutes, and
happen as often as 30 times or more per hour. Ongoing disrupted breathing
causes an imbalance between the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the
bloodstream, as not enough carbon dioxide is exiting and not enough oxygen
is entering the body.
Sensing this imbalance, the brain sends a message to the body, telling
it to wake up to restart breathing the process. People with sleep apnea
will partially awake as they struggle to breathe, and this is often accompanied
by loud snoring or choking sensations. Because people with sleep apnea
don’t always completely awake during the episodes, they are often
unaware they have a sleeping disorder and it can remain undiagnosed.
There are two main types of this disorder;
central sleep apnea
which occurs when the brain fails to send important signals to the breathing
muscles, and
obstructive sleep apnea
which occurs when air cannot flow through the nose or mouth even though
the body is still trying to breathe. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more
prevalent and easily treatable by the dentist.
Common signs of obstructive sleep apnea can include severe early morning
headaches, sleepiness in the daytime, and insomnia. Fortunately, the dentist
is equipped with the necessary technology and expertise to treat sleep
apnea in several different ways.
Reason for treating sleep apnea
It is very important to seek medical attention if sleep apnea is suspected.
A sufferer can completely stop numerous times per hour, and this can quickly
turn into a deadly situation. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the
soft tissue lying at the back of the patient’s throat collapses
into the airway. The tongue then falls towards the back of the throat
which tightens the blockage and prevents oxygen from entering the lungs.
The problem worsens when the chest region, diaphragm, and abdomen fight
for air. The efforts they make to obtain vital oxygen only cause a further
tightening of the blockage. The patient must arouse from deep sleep to
tense the tongue and remove the soft tissue from the airway.
Because sleep apnea causes carbon dioxide levels to skyrocket in the blood
and oxygen levels to decrease, the heart has to pump harder and faster
to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Sleep apnea patients can technically
“die” many times each night. Sleep apnea has been linked to
a series of serious heart-related conditions, and should be investigated
by the dentist at the earliest opportunity.
What does sleep apnea treatment involve?
Initially, the dentist will want to conduct tests in order to investigate,
diagnose, and pinpoint a suitable treatment. The dentist can offer many
different treatment options which depend largely on the exact diagnosis
and the health of the patient. The dentist may advise the patient to halt
some habits that aggravate sleep apnea such as smoking, alcohol consumption,
and tranquilizer use.
Sleeping masks were traditionally used to keep the patient’s airways
open while they slept, but nowadays there are some less intrusive options.
Dental devices that gently tease the lower jaw forward are very effective
in preventing the tongue from blocking the main air passage. These dental
devices are gentle, easy to wear, and often help patients avoid unwanted
surgeries.
A more permanent solution is to have surgery that sections the lower jaw
and helps pull the bone holding the tongue forward slightly. This surgery
has an impressive success rate and is simple for the dentist or oral surgeon
to perform. The dentist needs to formally make a diagnosis of each individual
case before recommending the best course of action.