A letter on coronavirus awareness from Cameo Dental Specialists |
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Posted on 9/25/2019 by Vladana Babcic Tal DMD |
![]() There are many ways that an airway can become obstructed when we sleep. Some causes are easily corrected others may require surgery. Many people have sleep apnea, but don't know it. Most are alerted to it because a partner noticed loud snoring or realized that you were waking up gasping for air. Sleep apnea should not be left untreated. How Can Sleep Apnea Be Fixed?How we fix sleep apnea is due to a large extent to the cause of your sleep apnea. In other words, we have to determine what is causing your airway to become obstructed when you sleep. Some cases are caused by extra tissue near the airway, or you could have a large tongue or large tonsils.You have what is called airway muscles that, during sleep, relax and contract as you breathe. These muscles could be causing the problem or something else could be interfering with their mechanism. You could have problems in your sinus passages that are causing your breathing to become abnormal when you sleep. You could also have a jaw problem. The position of your jaw could cause your airway to collapse. But not to worry, there are relatively simple ways to correct these problems not all of which involve surgery. How Can You Fix It? A CPAP machine helps many people. It is a breathing device that you wear at night that forces your airways to remain open by forcing air through a flexible tube. Some people find that they can't wear the device so for those patients we try an oral appliance, like a mouth guard, that you wear when you sleep. This mouth guard forces your jaw into a more forward position which keeps the airway from collapsing. More severe cases may require oral surgery, which we are fully qualified to perform. If you think you have sleep apnea give us a call so we can help you get better rest. |