Sleep Apnea
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Sleep Apnea Treatment in Toronto
Sleep apnea is a common form of sleep disorder that is characterized by pauses while breathing or shortness of breath during sleep. This shortness of breath and pause is called apnea and can happen multiple times during the night, disrupting your normal sleep patterns and causing various health issues. Degraded quality of sleep can also greatly affect your life, leaving you with a low level of energy, physical strength, and concentration all throughout the day. Our professional and caring team at Smile Garden can help you resolve this problem and regain your peace and comfort.
Different Types of Apnea
There are generally two main types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of apnea and occurs when your airway is tightened or completely blocked during sleep due to the relaxation of your throat muscles. This blockage of air is repeated multiple times overnight and reduces or completely stops the airflow, having negative impacts on the quality of your sleep.
- Central sleep apnea is the condition when your brain is unable to send proper signals to the muscles which are in charge of breathing, resulting in similar symptoms as obstructive sleep apnea, i.e., blockage of airflow and shortness of breath.
In some cases, the patient might be diagnosed with symptoms of both types of sleep apnea. This rather rare condition is known as complex sleep apnea syndrome and could involve both the malfunctioning of the brain and muscle weakness.
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Symptoms and Treatment
The wide-ranging symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, gasping, or experiencing feelings of choking during sleep. This irritating condition can also lead to excessive daytime drowsiness, headaches, low physical strength, lack of concentration, and persistent irritability. Sleep apnea should be treated immediately; otherwise, in the long term, it can cause more serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression.
To diagnose sleep apnea, doctors typically monitor your sleep using special equipment. Depending on the complexity of your condition, your treatment options might be different. Simply changing your lifestyle and habits, such as weight loss, regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding alcoholic drinks, can help improve your symptoms.
Using special equipment such as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure machine) or Auto-CPAP, which help improve airflow while you are asleep, is the most common form of treatment for sleep apnea. This equipment is comprised of a mask that you must wear over the nose or mouth during sleep to deliver a continuous flow of air to the lungs and keep the airway open.
Other treatment options include wearing oral appliances, which help keep your throat open and relieve mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea. In some severe cases of OSA, after other less intrusive methods have failed, you may need to go through surgery. Based on your specific needs, you may be required to remove or shrink some of the tissues which are obstructing your airway, have your jawbone repositioned, implant plastic or polyester rods to support your soft palate, or in case of CSA (central sleep apnea) receive nerve stimulation.
However, if you suspect that you may have sleep apnea or if you are struggling with symptoms similar to this sleep disorder, it is of utmost importance to consult with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and treatment. At Smile Garden Dental, we help you resolve your sleep disorder not only to improve the quality of your sleep but also to promote your overall health and well-being.
We also provide a comprehensive range of dental services, including dental implants, and dental veneers.
