Blog Layout

Understanding Sleep Apnea and How to Help

Warrenton Dental Center • Jun 21, 2017

Snoring isn’t something to be overly concerned about, is it? Not necessarily. Loud, frequent snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea, which is a common and potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep. It is vital that we work to distinguish between snoring and sleep apnea in Warrenton—understanding the difference will make all the difference.

Understanding Snoring

Severe snoring can cause an array of problems, including sleep disturbances for the snorer and other household members as well as walking episodes.  Snoring does not always result in sleep apnea, but chronic snoring may indicate an underlying sleep disorder.  Left untreated, sleep apnea can increase risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes and car accidents due to sleepiness while driving.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a type of breathing disorder, which is a serious, and potentially life-threatening condition characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.  There are three types of sleep apnea:

  • Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) – the upper airway is open, but no oxygen is getting into the system.
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – the lungs and the diaphragm are functioning normally, but no oxygen is entering the system because there is an obstruction in the upper airway.
  • Mixed Sleep Apnea – this is a combination of central and obstructive sleep apnea.

The signs and symptoms of OSA include snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, gasping or choking during the night, non-refreshed sleep, fragmented sleep, clouded memory, irritability, personality changes and morning headaches.

 

Does your partner or a family member display chronic snoring and pauses in breathing while they sleep? If so, it is important to contact Dr. Bonnie Foster in Warrenton, VA about sleep apnea and your treatment options.

Untreated sleep apnea leads to depression and worsening of ADHD

By cpcvirginia • 06 Dec, 2017
You may think that snoring or sleep apnea should not be at the top of your treatment list. However, it is important to make the treatment of your sleep apnea a top priority. Why? Let’s take a look at 5 negative effects that sleep apnea can have on your oral and overall health when treatment […]

Who is at risk for TMD?

By Warrenton Dental Center • 06 Dec, 2017
Being at risk for temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) increases your likelihood of developing this condition. It is possible to develop TMD with or without the risk factors, but if you do have a number of those listed, it is important to ask your dentist what you might be able to do to reduce your risk. […]

What are the Different Types of Sleep Apnea?

By Warrenton Dental Center • 28 Nov, 2017
From snoring to pauses in breathing, sleep apnea should not be taken lightly—in fact, you should receive proper treatment immediately. As with other diseases and conditions, there are different types of sleep apnea you might be suffering from. For this reason, it is important to understand each type in order to better understand your specific […]

Migraines Might be linked to TMD and Arthritis

By cpcvirginia • 27 Nov, 2017
If you are experiencing an extremely painful headache, it might be a migraine. However, while migraines might be annoying and difficult to deal with, they don’t typically cause any serious complications. With a new study, migraines were determined to be an early sign of arthritis in the jaw. What is the Connection? Temporomandibular joint disorder […]

Is Your TMD Caused by Stress?

By Warrenton Dental Center • 16 Nov, 2017
Maybe you’ve been trying to find the root cause for your TMD but are coming up short. For many, stress is the culprit. It affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. In fact, about 77 percent of people in the United States have reported that they experienced physical symptoms due to stress. Let’s […]

Make lifestyle changes to improve sleep apnea symptoms

By cpcvirginia • 15 Nov, 2017
In addition to sleep apnea treatments it is also important to make lifestyle changes. Through these changes, you can improve your sleep and eliminate your symptoms of sleep apnea—it’s a win/win for your health and your sleep! Here are three lifestyle changes you should start making immediately. Quit Smoking. We have all been told that […]

TMD Could be Interrupting Your Sleep

By cpcvirginia • 10 Nov, 2017
It has also been shown that those who suffer from sleep disorders might also be suffering from a problem directly related to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMD). A disorder in the TMJ can cause pain and discomfort in other parts of the body and symptoms, such as sleep apnea, teeth grinding and tension headaches or […]

A Lesson in Sleep Apnea

By Warrenton Dental Center • 10 Nov, 2017
Sleep apnea has been observed since ancient times and, while a treatment or cause was not clear, people were still aware of this condition. In the late 19th century, the term “Pickwickian syndrome” was created to describe symptoms of sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the research mainly concentrated on the patient’s obesity rather than the disordered breathing […]

Think Twice Before Chewing Gum

By cpcvirginia • 06 Sep, 2017
If you chew gum and suffer from headaches or jaw pain, you might want to think twice before you pick up that new pack of gum. A person suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) might find it painful to chew gum while others will gladly chew it on a daily basis. In a study of […]

Sleep Apnea Sufferers need to be Aware of More Health Concerns

By cpcvirginia • 01 Sep, 2017
We all know sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, sleep conditions, such as sleep apnea, can hinder a person’s ability to sleep and their quality of sleep. When this occurs, other severe health conditions can arise. We’ve discussed a few before, but let’s take a look at some other conditions: High Blood […]
More Posts
Share by: