Don’t let sleep apnea affect your day-to-day life. 

If you experience sleep apnea, you’ve likely begun to notice the negative effects it can have on your life. However, these effects extend beyond the most obvious ones, like snoring and disrupted sleep. Unfortunately, sleep apnea can eventually cause serious health issues if left untreated. 

But if you’ve ever looked into how to treat sleep apnea, you may have thought that the process of diagnosing the condition and trying multiple options for treatment seemed too complicated or more trouble than it was worth. 

While it can feel daunting to consider a sleep study or CPAP therapy, treating sleep apnea is essential to not only feeling your best, but also to ensuring your long-term health. And when you discover how sleep apnea treatment can significantly change your life for the better, you will find that the process is definitely worthwhile.

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic sleep disorder that occurs when the throat muscles block your upper airway during sleep. Symptoms include:

• Snoring and/or gasping during sleep.
• Insomnia.
• Fatigue.
• Headaches.
• Sore throat.
• Memory loss.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Irritability.
• Depression.
• Teeth grinding (bruxism). 

While OSA can affect people of all age groups, it becomes far more common with age, and it is particularly common in men and in patients who are obese. 

Avoiding treatment for OSA can increase the risk of heart disease, heart arrhythmia, and stroke.

How Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment Can Change Your Life

You may not be keen on the idea of wearing a sleep apnea mask or night guard every night in order to treat OSA, but these 8 benefits of treating OSA may outweigh your reservations.

1. No More Snoring

An obstructed airway can cause snoring, which can interfere not only with the quality of your own sleep, but also your bed partner’s. Obstructive sleep apnea treatment will help you snore less and may even help you stop storing altogether.

2. No More Teeth Grinding

Grinding your teeth at night weakens them and can lead to pain and other issues in your head, neck, jaw, and face. OSA treatment will keep your teeth safe and help prevent conditions like TMJ and chronic headaches.

3. Weight Management

Obstructive sleep apnea can mess with your body’s ability to accurately signal hunger and fullness. This can lead to weight gain issues, which are likely to worsen your OSA. Seeking treatment can help you balance your diet and maintain a healthy weight.

4. Better Sleep

When your airway is obstructed, it causes you to wake up throughout the night, which can be detrimental to your sleep cycle. Once you’ve become acclimated to your sleep apnea mask, you will likely sleep far better with it than you did without it.

5. No More Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Aside from the serious health conditions it’s connected to, one of the more dangerous effects of sleep apnea is the daytime sleepiness it causes. If you’re doing any activity that requires alertness and concentration, such as driving a car, then you’re putting yourself at serious risk by doing so when you’re feeling sleepy. Obstructive sleep apnea treatment can prevent accidents related to excessive daytime sleepiness.

6. More Stable Mood

Sleep apnea can make it difficult for your body to regulate mood, resulting in irritability and even depression. Treatment can make your everyday experience much more pleasant and well-balanced.

7. More Energy to Do the Things You Love

Aging can make it a challenge to find the energy to do all of the things that bring you joy, like going for walks or spending time with your grandchildren, even without OSA. Getting better sleep thanks to OSA treatment can make that struggle an easier one.

8. Lower Risk of Serious Health Conditions

Sleep apnea can cause our oxygen levels to dip, which can cause long-term damage to the heart. Similarly, the sleep deprivation that results from OSA can also damage the cardiovascular system. Seeking treatment can help lower the chances of health problems caused by the toll these issues take on our bodies.

Be Patient With Your Treatment

You may not be able to enjoy the full range of all of these benefits until several months after you’ve committed to treatment, so don’t despair if you’re still struggling in the beginning. And if you want to explore options outside CPAP therapy, ask your dentist about other solutions, such as a custom-made oral appliance.

In need of a dentist near The Villages, FL?

Laurel Manor Dental can help you treat your sleep apnea and improve your quality of life. We provide patient-centered, compassionate care in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Request an appointment with us to start feeling your best today.