Are You Frequently Sick? Sleep Apnea Therapy Near Aledo Could Help

Do you wake up frequently throughout the night gasping or wheezing? Do you have headaches in the morning even though you’ve gotten your full 8 hours of sleep? These could be tell-tale signs that you have a sleeping disorder. You may not have bothered seeking treatment because you don’t think it’s that big of a deal. However, your quality of sleep could be making you physically ill. Read on to learn how your condition is impacting your immune system and how sleep apnea therapy near Aledo can help.

Connecting Sleep Apnea And Your Immune System

A special protein called cytokine helps ward off inflammation and infection in your body. When you’re asleep, your body produces these proteins and other antibodies that help keep illnesses at bay. Not getting enough sleep won’t just make you tired, but it can also make you sick and affect your body’s ability to kick colds and flus. Do you know why you always get told to “rest up” when you’re sick? It’s because when you’re asleep, your body works hard producing additional antibodies to fight off your illness.

Your Condition Can Be Putting Your Immune System At Risk

Resting and napping isn’t enough for your body to produce illness-fighting cytokines and antibodies. You need to reach the deeper phases of sleep. When you have a condition like sleep apnea, you hardly ever drift into a deep sleep because your airway obstruction is affecting the oxygen levels in your blood and causing your sleep cycle to become disrupted throughout the night.

Over 100 million people have sleep apnea in the entire world. Most of these cases go undiagnosed because they can’t notice the symptoms (because they’re asleep when they occur), or because they don’t seek professional help. While poor-quality sleep seems like hardly anything to worry about, it can affect your day-to-day life and your overall health. If you wake up with a dry throat, headaches, or are constantly tired throughout the day, visit a sleep medicine specialist for a diagnosis. This will allow you to start seeking treatment options.

Sleep Medicine Can Boost Your Health

There are a couple of different options that could help you get the quality of sleep you need to help your body fight off illness. Once you get a diagnosis and the severity of your sleep disorder has been assessed, your sleep medicine dentist can provide you with either a CPAP machine, a custom oral appliance, or both. Typically, sleep apnea patients stray away from using a CPAP machine because it covers a portion of your face and can be difficult to fall asleep with. Custom crafted oral appliances look similar to retainers and help support your jaw to open your airway.

Working with your dentist can help determine what treatment will be best for you. Your sleep apnea could impact your overall wellbeing and be what’s causing you to become sick. Seeking treatment can help you get the quality of sleep your body needs to stay healthy!

About the Author

Dr. Deborah Romack has been providing her patients with the rest they need to stay healthy since 1998. She continuously researches and keeps up with advances in general dentistry, orthodontics, Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, and sleep dentistry. She has attended advanced training and courses about airway obstruction, snoring, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and upper airway resistance syndrome. She aims to improve each one of her patients’ quality of life. For questions or to schedule an appointment, visit Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine’s website or contact 817-594-3806.