Sleep Apnea and Snoring Therapy – Canton

Do you snore? Does the person sleeping next to you snore? If so, did you know that snoring can be a symptom of an even bigger problem? Obstructive sleep apnea could be the cause of your snoring. This disorder is characterized by disruptions in breathing lasting 10 seconds or more, leading to serious health complications. Moreover, these lapses in breathing can happen more than 100 times in one night! Although you will likely be unaware of these moments when breathing stops, your brain is aware. Lacking oxygen, the brain signals the body to awaken to restart breathing.

Why Choose Robison Dental Group for Sleep Apnea and Snoring Therapy?

• Custom-made sleep appliances designed for each patient
• Able to stop snoring the very first night
• Reliable CPAP alternative

The Signs of Sleep Apnea

With sleep apnea, you won’t remember your breathing stopping over and over, but this vicious cycle adds up to a lot of lost sleep night after night. In fact, aside from snoring, one of the main signals that may indicate sleep apnea is daytime sleepiness and difficulty concentrating and remembering. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include morning headaches and sore throats, gasping for air during sleep, and frequent trips to the bathroom at night.

The Dangers of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is associated with a number of serious health conditions:

• High blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• Impotence
• Type II diabetes
• Depression

Come Get the Rest You Need

Dr. J.D. Robison and his team at Robison Dental Group can help diagnose and treat your sleep apnea and alleviate snoring. We can create a custom oral appliance that can help you start getting refreshing sleep again. This comfortable plastic appliance repositions your jaw to leave the airway open during sleep. This appliance is simple-to-use, travels easily, and is a non-surgical, quiet treatment option that has been proven successful for treating mild to moderate snoring and sleep apnea as well as providing an alternative for patients who are CPAP intolerant. If you believe you might be suffering from sleep apnea, please call 734-453-4530 for an appointment.

Sleep Apnea FAQs

Many patients don’t even realize they have sleep apnea, but the disorder needs to be treated quickly to avoid severe complications. It’s important to learn everything you can about this condition so that you know when to act. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Robison today to ask any questions you might have about sleep apnea and its treatment. Here’s a few common inquiries that patients like you have asked in the past:

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA for short. It’s caused by physical blockage of the airway (as opposed to other forms of sleep apnea where the brain fails to properly control the breathing muscles). When your asleep, your throat and tongue muscles are more relaxed, causing soft tissue in the mouth and throat to collapse. This is particularly common among overweight or obese patients.  Other risk factors include having a thinner neck, being male, having a narrow throat, being older, inheriting the condition, using alcohol, and suffering from nasal congestion.

Does Snoring Always Mean Sleep Apnea?

It’s very common for patients with sleep apnea to snore loudly, so if your partner or roommate complains about the noise, you should have a diagnosis performed right away. That said, snoring doesn’t necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. Loud, frequent snoring that happens in bursts is more likely to be a sign of sleep apnea than steady, regular snoring. That said, both kinds could also be a sign of a different type of sleep-disordered breathing.

Keep in mind that it’s possible to have sleep apnea without snoring (although it’s very, very rare). If you’re excessively drowsy during the daytime, it’s a good idea to schedule a consultation to see if sleep apnea might be the culprit.

How Do Oral Appliances Treat Sleep Apnea?

You’ll wear your oral appliance at night like you would a mouthguard for sports or an orthodontic retainer. It will either push or pull your lower jaw forward into a better resting position. This way, your tongue is held in place and won’t block the airway. Not only will this reduce the effects of sleep apnea, but it’ll also help with your snoring; the noise should either be greatly lessened or entirely gone. It’s an easy to use, effective and more convenient alternative to using a CPAP machine for many different patients.

How Else Can I Treat Sleep Apnea at Home?

There are some things you can do by yourself at home to help your sleep apnea treatment go as smoothly as possible. Weight loss, for example, can sometimes make a big difference towards improving or eliminating your symptoms. Also, some patients find that, while they suffer from sleep apnea while sleeping on their backs, it’s easier to breathe normally when they start sleeping on their sides. Quitting smoking or avoiding alcohol can also improve your condition. Of course, the effectiveness of each treatment depends on what the cause of sleep apnea is in the first place, so you should have a diagnosis done first.