How Sleep Apnea Affects You & How Therapy Helps

Do those in your household say that you snore? Loud snoring can be a symptom of a serious disorder called sleep apnea. Diagnosed through symptoms and monitored sleep studies, sleep apnea can be treated and its health effects avoided. Dr. Deborah Romack of Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine offers customized oral appliances and CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines as effective sleep apnea therapy so patients, and their families, can get a good night’s rest and improve their well-being.

Sleep Apnea Affects Your Daily Life

Sleep apnea treatment help avoid the long-term effects of this disorder. Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, is the most common kind of sleep apnea, affecting millions of American adults of all ages. It happens when the soft tissues at the back of the throat relax and collapse over the airway, causing the characteristic noise we call snoring.

Unfortunately, the interrupted airflow causes a decrease in brain oxygenation, and the sufferer wakes up suddenly. Research indicates that people awaken hundreds of times a night without actually realizing it. Unfortunately, poor sleep is only part of the picture. Dr. Romack says systemic health suffers, too.

So does the National Sleep Foundation, an organization dedicated to the science of sleep. These researchers have found that when lack of rest and oxygen deprivation combine in sleep apnea, systemic health plummets. For instance, OSA patients experience heart conditions such as congestive heart failure and a heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation. These individuals have more heart attacks and strokes, too.

Also, liver function can deteriorate, and some people develop Type-2 diabetes. A cluster of symptoms called  metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high serum cholesterol, increased blood sugar and thick waist circumference) plagues sleep apnea sufferers.

Besides these medical problems, OSA patients experience:

• Insomnia
• Daytime exhaustion and sleepiness
• Attention deficit
• Memory issues
• Depression
• Irritability
• Morning headaches
• Mood swings
• Sexual dysfunction

Therapy for Sleep Apnea

Dr. Romack and her team provide the screening and treatment plans which get to the core of sleep apnea problems. A member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Romack custom-fits comfortable oral appliances which aid these patients by positioning their lower jaws forward and opening their airways. Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine features the Dorsal, Herbst and Moses oral appliances–quality, comfortable and effective devices that reduce apnea symptoms and also can aid with oral health problems such as teeth clenching and jaw joint dysfunction.

Depending on the how an individual’s sleep apnea expresses itself, Dr. Romack may prescribe a combination of an oral appliance and a CPAP machine. When these two strategies pair up,  the patient uses his or her CPAP machine less or at a lower, quieter setting.

At Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine, the team evaluates the patient’s airway with digital X-rays and sophisticated rhinometer and pharyngometer diagnostic tools to fully understand what happens to the individual’s anatomy as he sleeps.

Protect Your Health

If you snore consistently, please take Dr. Romack’s sleep apnea quiz. Submit it online and depending on how you respond, you will hear from our team to arrange a consultation. Please take this important step in protecting your nightly sleep, interpersonal relationships and overall health.