What Happens If You Don't Treat Sleep Apnea?

You may have heard of sleep apnea from friends, family, or co-workers and wondered how serious of a condition it is. You may have even wondered if you or a family member has sleep apnea. If so, we hope the material below from our dentist in Citrus Heights provides you with the information you need to learn more about the condition, its causes, and its treatment. If you still have questions after reading this, we invite you to call New Vision Dentistry for sleep apnea services in Citrus Heights, CA.

Understanding Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes patients to pause or temporarily stop breathing while they sleep. Although it is most commonly known as a snoring disorder, it is not a breathing disorder. And when breathing stops, even for a moment, there is a cumulative impact on a patient’s health.

Not getting enough rest negatively affects a patient’s ability to eat well and exercise. It can also contribute to new or increased anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, a weakened immune system, and even early death. Remember, too, that your snoring could affect the health and needed sleep patterns of those next to you. They may not experience episodes of not breathing as you do, but they will experience episodes of not sleeping, contributing to their safety and health concerns.

Types of Sleep Apnea

When you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, your diagnosis will fall into one of these three classifications of the condition:

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Central sleep apnea
• Complex sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of the condition and the most easily treatable with dental appliance therapy in the absence of a sleep study. Our dentist in Citrus Heights can coordinate a sleep study for you if you want one performed with your appliance therapy.

The Main Causes of Sleep Apnea

The causes of sleep apnea of all three types include:

• Excessive weight
• Large neck circumference
• Narrow airway
• Age
• Gender
• Family history
• Smoking habits
• Previous medical conditions
• Medications and drug use

As you can probably tell from reading the above, it’s impossible to list only one cause of sleep apnea. Indeed, some patients may exhibit none of the above causes, yet they experience one or more symptoms of the condition apart from snoring, such as:

• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Inability to concentrate or focus
• Headaches
• Depression
• Skipped heartbeats
• Weight gain
• Increased blood pressure
• And more

The takeaway about the causes and symptoms of the condition is that sleep apnea can have adverse effects if not treated. Custom oral appliances are a significant step to protect your health against the negative impact this condition can have on your health, your ability to perform at work or school, and your quality of life in general.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Although you can treat sleep apnea with CPAP therapy, many patients and their sleeping partners complain that the device is cumbersome and the mask uncomfortable. Patients also report that they continue to lose sleep caused by the downside of CPAP therapy.

The good news for readers searching for sleep apnea services near you without CPAP therapy is that our dentist in Citrus Heights offers comfortable and customizable oral appliance treatment. Wearing a custom-made oral appliance helps prevent your airways from collapsing while sleeping by gently holding your jaw. No CPAP machines. No uncomfortable and cumbersome sleep masks.

If you’re ready to learn more about sleep apnea appliance therapy near you, please give our dentist in Citrus Heights, CA, a call now to get started.

Why Choose Us?

Our team has years of experience helping our Citrus Heights community achieve a healthier night’s sleep. We believe in ensuring that all aspects of high-quality dental care are available to patients of all backgrounds. That commitment extends to helping you put your best smile forward while knowing you’re also getting a good night’s sleep.

We’re looking forward to meeting you soon to help you with both!