What Is Sleep Apnea? Eagle Mountain, UT Here’s a question you may have never thought you’d be hearing from us during your dental appointment: How are you sleeping? Good? Maybe not so much? If you’re waking up feeling tired and poorly rested, you have headaches in the morning, and you’ve been told that you snore at night, there’s a very high chance that you suffer from a condition called “sleep apnea.” While sleep apnea is fairly common, many of our patients are unaware of the dangers associated with it, including suffocation, heart attack, stroke, and even death. Here at Ranches Family Dental we know how dangerous sleep apnea can be, and we want our patients to be educated as to the risks associated with it and help them get treatment for it before it takes a deadly turn.What are the Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea?Many of our patients who are suffering from sleep apnea aren’t even aware that they have it. Sure, their significant others may be telling them that they are snoring at night, and they may wake up feeling poorly and tired throughout the day, but isn’t that fairly common for most people? Actually...no. If you’re noticing any of these common signs of sleep apnea, it’s vital that you get immediate treatment for this condition before it gets worse.
There are three primary types of sleep apnea, including:
Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common of the types of sleep apnea, has a variety of factors that can lead to its development. The most common risk of developing it is weight and sex, with overweight people and males having the highest prevalence of this condition. However, having enlarged tonsils, a narrow neck, smoking, advanced age, and chronic allergies or sinus infection can also trigger sleep apnea. Certain medications such as muscle relaxers and antidepressants are also linked with this condition. While it may seem like the biggest problem that arises from sleep apnea is an annoyed significant other who is tired of your snoring, getting treatment for your sleep apnea is critical. If left untreated, it can lead to a host of complications such as:
Whether you simply have questions about this condition or you want to schedule an appointment with a consultation for treatment, do not delay in calling us here at Ranches Family Dental at (385) 374-0500. We can quickly and accurately diagnose you for your sleep apnea and - if we determine that you do have this fairly common condition - we can start you on prompt, life-saving treatment including a CPAP machine or even oral appliance therapy. |
 Eagle Mountain, UT 84005-5515 Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Wednesday: 11:00am - 7:00pm Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Friday: 7:00am - 4:00pm Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed |
