Nearly 50 percent of Americans today suffer from the effects of disruptive snoring or sleep apnea.
This very common condition causes you to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more, many times during the night. During these periods, your body compensates for lack of oxygen with a quickening pulse, by raising blood pressure and even waking you up. Untreated, it can lead to brain fog, irritability and serious health problems, including:
- Stroke
- Heart Attack
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Fibromyalgia
- Acid Reflux
- Loss of Libido
- Impotence
- Short-term Memory Loss
Standard treatment is Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which keep the airway open with mild air pressure delivered through a face mask. Patients unable to tolerate (CPAP) now have the option of dental devices using Continuously Open Airway Therapy (COAT), that reposition the tongue and jaw to open the airway during sleep. Mandibular advancement devices (MAD) stabilize the jaw and give many patients relief.
If you suffer from sleep apnea and are intolerant of CPAP, contact a qualified sleep apnea specialist. A dentist specializing in MAD can recommend and fit a dental device to help you sleep soundly, so you’ll wake up feeling refreshed every day.
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