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Our office also provides treatment for sleep apnea. For individuals who snore or suffer from sleep apnea, we can provide an appliance that will alleviate that. What sleep apnea is is really a problem with the airway. When people sleep, the airway gets closed off and what the appliance does is that it opens the airway comfortably so that you can sleep better but also get a therapeutic effect that will treat sleep apnea.
With the method that we use to treat sleep apnea, we work very closely with a physician so that we know that the treatment's effective. Really, what we're doing is we're working with a physician to treat a medical condition. Sleep apnea can be very harmful. It can increase your risk for heart attack, stroke. It can make diabetes worse. It really affects all aspects of the body, and so we make sure that each individual has a sleep study. The results are interpreted by the physician and they let us know how effective the treatment is.
Everyone makes noises in their sleep. From the occasional murmur to a rough night with some snoring, it happens. When does it become something to worry about, though? If you are snoring loudly almost every night and are feeling exhausted the next day, you may have sleep apnea. If you or a loved one is showing these signs of sleep apnea, you need to see trusted Jeffersonville, Indiana dentist Dr. Kirchner for sleep apnea treatment as soon as possible.
Understand Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is when you go through an abnormal breathing cycle at night. You fall asleep; you can’t breathe; you awake in a panic; then you breathe normally enough to fall back asleep. This happens so fast that you never truly wake up.
People can run this cycle more than two hundred times each and every night. The most common cause is when the throat muscles relax too much. Their weight presses in on the windpipe, narrowing it. Air rushing through the narrowed windpipe is what causes the snoring. Eventually, the windpipe closes entirely. You panic, which causes the muscles to tense and open the airway again.
Losing Some Sleep Is Worse Than You Thought
Think back to the last time you tried pulling an all-nighter. Remember how much fun that was? Now think about how you felt the next day. Remember that fog in your brain? When you suffer from sleep apnea, that fog never lifts. You rarely get a good night’s rest. By losing all of that sleep, you are much more likely to be fatigued, distracted, and irritable not just the next day but every day. You’re also losing oxygen by not breathing right. In fact, sleep apnea has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, hormone imbalances, weight gain, headaches, and depression. Losing a little sleep is not bad. But sleep apnea robs you of most of your sleep.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
At our Jeffersonville, Indiana dentist office, we work closely with a physician to determine if you have sleep apnea. This generally begins with an at-home sleep study. We are able to set up the sleep study for you. The physician will look at your test and offer the final diagnosis. If you are suffering from sleep apnea, we will begin a sleep apnea treatment plan in our office to help you sleep better and be healthier.
A Sleep Appliance Can Help
Dr. Kirchner works on much more than teeth. He focuses on gums, tongues, jaws, and just about anything related to the mouth. That includes breathing and sleep apnea. For your sleep apnea treatment, Jeffersonville, Indiana dentist Dr. Kirchner can create a sleep appliance made just for you. This device is worn over your teeth like a mouthguard but is smaller and more comfortable. It shifts your jaw just enough to help keep your throat muscles from relaxing too much. In turn, this can help keep your windpipe open and cut down on that awful snoring.
If you are ready for sleep apnea treatment so you can sleep normally again, call our Jeffersonville, Indiana dentist today at 812-406-0914 or use our convenient online form for your next appointment.
