Sleep Apnea Treatment - Vancouver, WA
Do you snore all night and wake up feeling ill-rested? You could be suffering from sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition that affects over 25 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The vast majority of sleep apnea cases are left untreated, which can pose risks to your health and leave you wrestling with sleep apnea’s unwanted symptoms. Contacting our Vancouver sleep apnea doctor or a sleep medicine expert near you can lead to your diagnosis and treatment, so you can focus on the important things in life.
Types Of Sleep Apnea
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - This is the most common kind of sleep apnea, and occurs when the muscles in your throat relax and block your airways while you sleep. This kind of sleep apnea is most often characterized by snoring.
- Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) - Less common than OSA, this kind of sleep apnea results when your brain fails to send the correct signals to the muscles that control your breathing. It often occurs as the result of heart failure or stroke.
- Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome - This condition occurs when sleep apnea involves both the OSA and CSA type of apnea. It’s both neurological and physical.
Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing
• Lack of energy
• Morning headaches
• Large neck size
• Nighttime gasping, choking or coughing
• Depression
• Frequent nocturnal urination
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Gastro esophageal reflux
• Irregular breathing during sleep (e.g. snoring)
What Are The Effects of Sleep Apnea
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Heart failure, irregular heart beats, and heart attacks
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Worsening of ADHD
• Headaches
Our Vancouver Sleep Apnea Treatment
At Advanced Dental Concepts in Vancouver WA, Dr. Katrina Lo uses specialized equipment called an acoustic pharyngometer and rhinometer to evaluate a patient’s airway. This allows us to determine a patient’s airway stability during waking hours as well as simulate the collapse of the airway during sleep.
Our dental team treats OSA with oral appliances. These mouth guards are often a comfortable alternative for mild to moderate OSA sufferers, and help reduce the air pressure required with a CPAP for severe OSA patients. The appliance moves your jaw forward, opening your airway enough that your tongue and palate cannot meet. Oral appliances remove the need for a face mask for most patients, and you don’t have to worry about transporting a CPAP machine if you travel frequently.
Contact Our Vancouver Sleep Apnea Professionals
Advanced Dental Concepts has experience helping patients with more than just their teeth. Our sleep apnea professionals in Vancouver, WA have extensive experience helping individuals find relief from sleep apnea. To start sleeping better and feeling better, make an appointment today.
