Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

Talk to your dentist about snoring

Why Snoring Happens

Snoring happens when the muscles in your mouth and/or throat relax and cause your tongue or other soft tissues to block your airway while you’re sleeping. This makes it harder to breathe normally on your own. As you breathe in and out, you make a “snoring” sound when air tries to force its way through your blocked airway.

Snoring Could Be a Sign You Have Sleep Apnea

If you snore, you probably know that it can be an annoying distraction for your bedtime partner. However, snoring could also be a sign of a common sleep-related breathing disorder called sleep apnea (AP-nee-yuh). Sleep apnea occurs when your breathing slows down or stops one or more times while you are sleeping.

This causes your brain to wake your body up so that you can take in a deeper breath and get the right amount of oxygen. You may also take shallow or short breaths while you sleep. This cycle can repeat dozens or even hundreds of times each night. Over time, this can put a lot of physical stress on your body and lead to serious health problems if it’s not treated — such as heart disease or diabetes.

Sleep Apnea Affects Millions of People in the U.S.

• Biology: Enlarged tonsils, a large tongue, or a small or misaligned jaw can raise your risk of sleep apnea.
• Being overweight/obese: Extra weight puts more stress on your body and makes it harder to breathe normally when you sleep.
• Genetics/family history: If other members of your family have sleep apnea, you may be affected by it, too.
• Gender: Men are more affected than women, but sleep apnea can also occur in women, especially after menopause.
• Smoking and/or drinking alcohol: These habits affect your tongue and tissues in your mouth and throat, making it harder to keep your airway open when you sleep.

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Talk to your dentist or physician if you:

• Snore most or every time you sleep
• Wake up feeling tired with the feeling lasting throughout the entire day
• Have trouble concentrating or paying attention
• Fall asleep during the day at random times and places
• Wake up with a headache and/or jaw pain
• Wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat

Discuss Treatment Options with Your Dentist and Physician

It’s important that you talk to your primary physician or a doctor who specializes in sleep medicine for an accurate diagnosis of sleep apnea. Then, your dentist can work with them to create a treatment plan that will help improve your quality of sleep and overall health. Treatment options range based on the severity of your sleep apnea.

Snoring Doesn’t Always Equal Sleep Apnea

Snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea, but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. The best way to know for certain is to talk to your physician or a doctor who specializes in sleep medicine.

Common Treatment Options

• Changes in your lifestyle, like losing weight and/or avoiding alcohol and tobacco, may help to improve or lessen your symptoms.
• A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is worn like a mask while you sleep. It’s connected to a machine that uses a forced stream of air to keep your airway open and help you breathe easily.

Pros: It’s shown to be the most effective way to control sleep apnea.
Cons: The machine can be loud and the mask may feel bulky when trying to sleep, which may make it difficult to use regularly.

• Oral appliance therapy is a custom-made oral appliance from your dentist that’s designed to help shift your jaw forward when you sleep. This jaw position prevents your airway from closing. The appliance fits just like a mouth guard for sports or a night guard for clenching or grinding.

Pros: More comfortable to wear and easier than a CPAP device to stick to using every night.
Cons: May not be effective in treating severe cases of sleep apnea.

• Upper airway surgery may be recommended if these treatment options are not successful for treating your sleep apnea.