What are the Dangers of Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders. Unfortunately, even with the prevalence of this disorder, research indicates that 50% or more cases go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed each year. Without proper treatment, sleep apnea can take its toll on every aspect of your daily life. If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, it’s essential that you contact the Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine team or a trusted local sleep doctor. We offer a wide range of diagnostic services and innovative sleep apnea therapies to improve the quantity and quality of sleep.

Potential Health Risks

The most obvious health risk associated with sleep apnea is severe sleep deprivation. Patients suffering from sleep deprivation experience a number of concerns, including increased risk for accident or injury, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and changes in behavior. Patients who struggle with severe, chronic sleep apnea often find it difficult to maintain healthy personal and professional relationships, hold a job, or keep up with educational goals and responsibilities. Additionally, lack of the proper amount of deep, rejuvenating rest has implications for the health of every bodily system. Sleep apnea has been tied to a variety of cardiovascular diseases and events. The reason for this connection is the repeated restarting of breathing. To come out of the apnea event, the brain triggers a panic response in the body that elevates blood pressure and increases heart rate. These repeated events increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and sudden cardiac death. In recent years, sleep apnea has been closely linked to diabetes and dementia. It’s clear that sleep apnea is a dangerous, potentially deadly disorder, and it’s important to seek treatment for sleep apnea as soon as possible.

Warning Signs of Sleep Apnea

The first step to avoiding the adverse health effects of sleep apnea is diagnosis. That’s why it’s so important for you to recognize the early warning signs of sleep apnea. If you experience any combination of the following side effects of sleep apnea, you should call our team right away to schedule your sleep apnea consultation:

• Loud snoring
• Waking gasping, choking, or wheezing
• Chronic morning headaches
• Waking with dry mouth or hoarse voice
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating or memory loss
• Changes in mood or behavior

How We Can Help

At Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine, we can help you with every aspect of sleep apnea therapy, starting with diagnosis. We use an at-home sleep study system. The results of these tests are used to determine the level and severity of a patient’s sleep apnea. Once a diagnosis is made, we offer custom crafted oral appliances to help patients sleep and breathe deeply. We can also provide combined CPAP and oral appliance therapy. We’ll work with you to determine what the best treatment is and provide continued support and assessment to ensure you get the improved quality of sleep you need to lead a happy, healthy life.