Sleep apnea is a common and potentially serious sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when your breathing is interrupted repeatedly during sleep, causing you to wake up briefly and gasp for air. This can affect your quality of sleep, your health, and your well-being.
But what connection exists between sleep apnea and oral health? How can a dentist help you with this condition’s diagnosis and treatment? What sleep apnea warning signs and symptoms should you be on the lookout for? These and other issues will be addressed in this blog post, along with some helpful advice on how to manage with sleep apnea.
Table of Contents
What is Sleep Apnea?
It is a condition where your airway becomes blocked or collapses during sleep, causing you to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more. This can happen several times per hour, or even hundreds of times per night, depending on the severity of your condition.
There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). OSA is the most common type, and it happens when the muscles in the back of your throat relax and obstruct the airflow. CSA is less common, and it happens when the brain fails to send signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Both types of sleep apnea can cause low oxygen levels in your blood, which can trigger a stress response in your body. This can increase your blood pressure, heart rate, and inflammation, and increase your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, and cognitive impairment.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Some of the common symptoms include:
- Loud and chronic snoring
- Choking or gasping sounds during sleep
- Daytime sleepiness or fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth or sore throat
- Mood swings or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating or memory loss
- Decreased libido or impotence
However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. The only way to confirm if you have sleep apnea is to undergo a sleep study, which measures your breathing, heart rate, oxygen levels, and brain activity during sleep.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
It can be caused by various factors that affect the size and shape of your airway, such as:
- Obesity: Excess weight can put pressure on your throat and chest, narrowing your airway and making it more prone to collapse.
- Anatomy: Some people have naturally small or narrow airways, or enlarged tonsils, adenoids, tongue, or uvula that can block the airflow.
- Age: As you get older, your muscles tend to lose tone and strength, which can affect the muscles that keep your airway open.
- Gender: Men are more likely to develop sleep apnea than women, especially before menopause. This may be due to hormonal differences or anatomical variations.
- Family history: It can run in families, suggesting a genetic predisposition to the condition.
- Lifestyle habits: Smoking, drinking alcohol, taking sedatives or muscle relaxants can all affect your breathing and increase your risk of sleep apnea.
- Medical conditions: Some medical conditions that can cause or worsen it include nasal congestion, allergies, asthma, sinus infections, acid reflux, thyroid problems, neuromuscular disorders, and heart failure.
Is Sleep Apnea Dangerous?
It is not just a nuisance that affects your sleep quality. It can also have serious consequences for your health and well-being. Some of the dangers of untreated sleep apnea include:
- Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases: It can cause irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
- Increased risk of diabetes: It can impair your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
- Increased risk of cognitive impairment: It can affect your brain function, causing problems with memory, attention, learning, and decision-making.
These are just some of the ways that sleep apnea can harm your health. However, the good news is that it can be treated effectively with various options, which can reduce the risk of these complications and improve your quality of life. If you think you may have sleep apnea, you should consult your doctor or dentist as soon as possible. They can help you diagnose and treat your condition, and provide you with the best solution for your needs.
How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnea?
If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, the first step is to consult your doctor or a sleep specialist. They can evaluate your symptoms, medical history, and risk factors, and recommend a sleep study to confirm the diagnosis.
A sleep study is a test that records your breathing, heart rate, oxygen levels, and brain activity during sleep. You may have to spend a night at a sleep center, or you may be able to do it at home with a portable device. The results of the sleep study will show how often and how long you stop breathing during sleep, and how severe your condition is.
However, before you see your doctor or a sleep specialist, there is another professional who can help you screen for sleep apnea: your dentist. Your dentist can examine your mouth and throat, and look for signs of sleep apnea, such as:
- Worn or cracked teeth: This may indicate that you grind or clench your teeth during sleep, which is a common sign of sleep apnea.
- Receding or inflamed gums: This may indicate that you have gum disease, which is linked to sleep apnea and other systemic diseases.
- Large tongue or tonsils: This may indicate that you have an anatomical factor that contributes to your airway obstruction.
- Dry mouth or bad breath: This may indicate that you breathe through your mouth during sleep, which can dry out your oral tissues and cause bacterial growth.
Your dentist can also ask you some questions about your sleep quality, snoring habits, daytime fatigue, and other symptoms. Based on your dental exam and your answers, your dentist can determine if you are at risk of having sleep apnea, and refer you to a doctor or a sleep specialist for further evaluation.
Can Sleep Apnea Kill You?
It is not a trivial condition that you can ignore or dismiss. It can have serious and even fatal consequences if left untreated. Some of the ways that sleep apnea can kill you include:
- Sudden cardiac death: It can cause irregular heartbeats, low oxygen levels, and high blood pressure, which can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. This is when the heart stops beating unexpectedly and without warning.
- Car accidents: It can cause daytime sleepiness and impaired alertness, which can affect your driving performance and increase the risk of car accidents. According to some studies, people with sleep apnea are up to five times more likely to be involved in a car crash than people without it sleep apnea.
- Stroke: It can cause blood clots to form in the brain, which can block the blood flow and cause a stroke. A stroke can damage the brain cells and cause permanent disability or death.
- Cancer: It can affect the immune system and the metabolism, which can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Some studies have found that people with severe sleep apnea have a higher mortality rate from cancer than people without sleep apnea.
These are just some of the ways that it can kill you. However, the good news is that it can be treated effectively with various options, which can reduce the risk of these complications and improve your quality of life.
Can Sleep Apnea Be Cured?
It is a chronic condition that requires ongoing management and treatment. There is no definitive cure for sleep apnea, but there are ways to control it and prevent it from worsening. Some of the treatment options for include:
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy: This is the most common and effective treatment for sleep apnea. It involves wearing a mask over your nose or mouth that delivers pressurized air into your airway, keeping it open and preventing it from collapsing during sleep.
- Oral appliances: These are devices that fit in your mouth like a retainer or a mouthguard. They work by repositioning your lower jaw or tongue forward, creating more space in your airway and reducing snoring and breathing interruptions.
- Surgery: This is an option for people who have severe or complex cases of sleep apnea that do not respond to other treatments. Surgery can involve removing excess tissue from the throat, nose, or mouth, or implanting a device that stimulates the nerve that controls the tongue movement.
- Lifestyle changes: These are simple but effective ways to improve your sleep quality and reduce your risk of sleep apnea. They include losing weight if you are overweight or obese, quitting smoking if you smoke,
- avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals before bedtime, sleeping on your side instead of your back, and keeping a regular sleep schedule.
Is Sleep Apnea Genetic?
It can have both genetic and environmental factors that contribute to its development. Some people may inherit certain traits or conditions that make them more prone to it, such as:
- A family history of sleep apnea: If you have a parent or a sibling who has sleep apnea, you may have a higher chance of developing it yourself.
- A small or narrow airway: If you have a small or narrow airway due to your bone structure or facial features, you may have less space for the airflow and more risk of obstruction.
- A large tongue or tonsils: If you have a large tongue or tonsils that take up more room in your mouth or throat, you may have more difficulty breathing during sleep.
- A low muscle tone: If you have a low muscle tone in your throat or tongue due to a genetic disorder or a neuromuscular disease, you may have less control over your airway muscles and more risk of collapse.
However, having these genetic factors does not mean that you will definitely develop it. They only increase your susceptibility to the condition, but they do not cause it by themselves. You may also have other environmental factors that influence your risk of sleep apnea, such as:
- Obesity: Being overweight or obese can put extra pressure on your throat and chest, narrowing your airway and making it more prone to collapse.
- Smoking: Smoking can irritate and inflame your throat and nasal passages, reducing your airflow and increasing your snoring.
- Alcohol: Drinking alcohol can relax your throat muscles and interfere with your breathing control, causing more episodes of apnea.
- Medications: Taking certain medications that affect your central nervous system, such as sedatives, muscle relaxants, opioids, or antidepressants, can also relax your throat muscles and impair your breathing.
Therefore, even if you have a genetic predisposition to sleep apnea, you can still reduce your risk by modifying your lifestyle habits and seeking treatment if needed.
How to Treat Sleep Apnea
It is a treatable condition that can be managed effectively with various options. The best treatment for you will depend on the type and severity of your sleep apnea, as well as your personal preferences and medical history. Some of the common treatment options include:
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy: This is the most common and effective treatment for sleep apnea. It involves wearing a mask over your nose or mouth that delivers pressurized air into your airway, keeping it open and preventing it from collapsing during sleep. CPAP therapy can improve your sleep quality, reduce your snoring and daytime fatigue, lower your blood pressure, and protect your heart health. However, some people may find CPAP therapy uncomfortable or inconvenient, and may experience side effects such as dry mouth, nasal congestion, skin irritation, or claustrophobia.
Oral appliances: These are devices that fit in your mouth like a retainer or a mouthguard. They work by repositioning your lower jaw or tongue forward, creating more space in your airway and reducing snoring and breathing interruptions. Oral appliances can be custom-made by your dentist or purchased over-the-counter. They can be a good alternative for people who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy or who have mild to moderate sleep apnea. However, some people may experience side effects such as jaw pain, tooth movement, or bite changes.
- Surgery: This is an option for people who have severe or complex cases of sleep apnea that do not respond to other treatments. Surgery can involve removing excess tissue from the throat, nose, or mouth, or implanting a device that stimulates the nerve that controls the tongue movement. Surgery can be effective in some cases, but it also carries risks of complications, such as bleeding, infection, pain, or scarring.
- Lifestyle changes: These are simple but effective ways to improve your sleep quality and reduce your risk of sleep apnea. They include losing weight if you are overweight or obese, quitting smoking if you smoke, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals before bedtime, sleeping on your side instead of your back, and keeping a regular sleep schedule. Lifestyle changes can also enhance the effectiveness of other treatments, such as CPAP therapy or oral appliances.
The best way to find out which treatment option is right for you is to consult your doctor or dentist. They can help you choose the most suitable and comfortable solution for your condition and lifestyle.
Also read on “Gingivitis: A Complete Guide to Preventing and Treating Gum Disease in 2023”, click here.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that can affect your dental health and your overall health. It can cause various symptoms and complications that can impair your quality of life and well-being. However, it can be diagnosed and treated effectively with various options, which can improve your sleep quality, reduce your snoring and daytime fatigue, lower your blood pressure, and protect your heart health.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, do not hesitate to contact your dentist. Your dentist can help you screen for it, refer you to a doctor or a sleep specialist for further evaluation, and provide you with oral appliances or other treatments that can help you breathe better during sleep.
It is not something that you should ignore or dismiss. It is a treatable condition that can make a big difference in your life. Take action today and get the restful sleep that you deserve.
We hope this article has helped you learn more about Sleep Apnea. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them with us below. We would love to hear from you! 😊
