Your dentist has all sorts of things to look out for in your mouth when you go and see him or her for your six month check up. Things like tooth decay and gum disease are obvious but many people don’t know that dentists can also spot the signs of sleep apnea, a debilitating condition which interrupts sleep. Read on to find out more information about it.
Sleep apnea occurs when muscles at the rear of patient’s mouth relax too much during sleep and oxygen is unable to get into the body. The brain will send a signal to wake up the body every time this happens so patient’s sleep can be severely disrupted. In some cases patients are unaware that they are actually waking up, they are more drifting into a lighter state of sleep but feel very tired during the day.
All of this means that sleep apnea patients have an increased risk of hypertension to contend with. Heart attacks and strokes become a greater concern too as well as the general fatigue they will experience. Leeds dentists can help to diagnose sleep apnea by examining the muscles in question during one of the six months check-ups which should be part of your routine.
Sleep apnea can be combatted by the wearing of one of several inter oral devices during sleep. In their various forms they ensure that oxygen get flow into the lungs unimpeded. Sometimes it might be a case of recognising what is causing your sleep apnea in the first place and then making the necessary changes to your lifestyle. Drinking alcohol before sleep can be a contributing factor and smokers are more prone to sleep apnea.
Tags: sleep apnea
