There are many reasons you should get serious about treating sleep apnea, and your trusted team at Guided Smiles Prosthodontics & Implant Center is here to help. We are proud to offer trusted sleep apnea solutions to improve your health and enhance your quality of life. A visit to our Ponte Vedra office will have you on your way to restful, rejuvenating sleep!

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What Is Sleep Apnea?

If you snore loudly and wake up tired and sleepy, you may suffer from a potentially serious chronic sleep order called sleep apnea. The condition is characterized by the patient repeatedly stopping and starting to breathe through the night. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most prevalent type of sleep apnea, results from the muscles at the back of the throat relaxing during sleep. That causes the soft tissue to collapse and block the airway, preventing oxygen from reaching the lungs.

What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?

Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include the following:

  • Chronic loud snoring
  • Waking up choking or gasping for breath
  • Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
  • Morning headaches
  • Waking up with a dry mouth,
  • Nighttime teeth grinding (bruxism)

What Effects Does Sleep Apnea Have on You?

Poor sleep is detrimental to your health and quality of life. Here are some of the potential consequences of untreated sleep apnea:

  • Feeling tired, lethargic, and sleepy during the day
  • Difficulty concentrating and memory loss
  • Irritability and frequent mood swings
  • Increased risk of driving or workplace accidents
  • Unexplained weight gain
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease and stroke
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Chronic acid reflux
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Surgery complications

Who Is at Risk of Developing Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea can happen to anyone at any age. However, factors that increase the risk of developing sleep apnea include family history, heavy snoring, obesity, being a male, having a small jaw, or previous damage to the nose or throat. Patients with a large neck circumference, large tonsils, low levels of thyroid hormones, and elevated levels of growth hormones are also at risk of developing sleep apnea.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

Dr. Blackmon will team with your primary care provider, to gather a sleep study and proper diagnosis of your condition. He will work with you to determine the best and most effective sleep apnea treatment solution. If a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is your best option, we will refer you to our trusted provider. The treatment involves using a device that blows a steady stream of pressurized air through a CPAP mask. That helps open up the airways and prevents your breathing from stopping during sleep.

Depending on your specific needs, often times a patient’s inability to tolerate a CPAP machine, Dr. Blackmon may recommend oral appliance therapy. This may involve the use of a mandibular advancement device that looks similar to a mouthguard and helps keep the jaw in a forward position to maintain an open airway. Another treatment option is a soft tissue repositioning oral appliance, a splint-like device that keeps the tongue in place to keep your airway open. There are many oral appliance options, and the right one for you will depend on your specific needs.

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Sleep Apnea Solutions Near Me

Contact Guided Smiles Prosthodontics & Implant Center in Ponte Vedra, FL, for more information about our sleep apnea solutions. We look forward to working alongside you to restore your restful, rejuvenating sleep. Call us and schedule your appointment today!

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