Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep
disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. The
term sleep apnea is derived from the Greek etymology meaning “without
breath”. Breathing pauses can last anywhere from several seconds to
minutes, and happen as often as 30 times or more per hour. Ongoing
disrupted breathing causes an imbalance between the carbon dioxide and
oxygen levels in the bloodstream, as not enough carbon dioxide is
exiting and not enough oxygen is entering the body.
Sensing this imbalance, the brain sends a message
to the body, telling it to wake up to restart breathing the process.
People with sleep apnea will partially awake as they struggle to
breathe, and this is often accompanied by loud snoring or choking
sensations. Because people with sleep apnea don’t always completely
awake during the episodes, they are often unaware they have a sleeping
disorder and it can remain undiagnosed.
There are two main types of this disorder; central sleep apnea which occurs when the brain fails to send important signals to the breathing muscles, and obstructive sleep apnea
which occurs when air cannot flow through the nose or mouth even though
the body is still trying to breathe. Obstructive sleep apnea is far
more prevalent and easily treatable by the dentist.
Common signs of obstructive sleep apnea can
include severe early morning headaches, sleepiness in the daytime, and
insomnia. Fortunately, the dentist is equipped with the necessary
technology and expertise to treat sleep apnea in several different ways.
Reason for treating sleep apnea
It is very important to seek medical attention if
sleep apnea is suspected. A sufferer can completely stop numerous times
per hour, and this can quickly turn into a deadly situation.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue lying at the back of
the patient’s throat collapses into the airway. The tongue then falls
towards the back of the throat which tightens the blockage and prevents
oxygen from entering the lungs.
The problem worsens when the chest region,
diaphragm, and abdomen fight for air. The efforts they make to obtain
vital oxygen only cause a further tightening of the blockage. The
patient must arouse from deep sleep to tense the tongue and remove the
soft tissue from the airway.
Because sleep apnea causes carbon dioxide levels
to skyrocket in the blood and oxygen levels to decrease, the heart has
to pump harder and faster to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Sleep
apnea patients can technically “die” many times each night. Sleep apnea
has been linked to a series of serious heart-related conditions, and
should be investigated by the dentist at the earliest opportunity.
What does sleep apnea treatment involve?
Initially, the dentist will want to conduct tests
in order to investigate, diagnose, and pinpoint a suitable treatment.
The dentist can offer many different treatment options which depend
largely on the exact diagnosis and the health of the patient. The
dentist may advise the patient to halt some habits that aggravate sleep
apnea such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and tranquilizer use.
Sleeping masks were traditionally used to keep
the patient’s airways open while they slept, but nowadays there are some
less intrusive options. Dental devices that gently tease the lower jaw
forward are very effective in preventing the tongue from blocking the
main air passage. These dental devices are gentle, easy to wear, and
often help patients avoid unwanted surgeries.
A more permanent solution is to have surgery that
sections the lower jaw and helps pull the bone holding the tongue
forward slightly. This surgery has an impressive success rate and is
simple for the dentist or oral surgeon to perform. The dentist needs to
formally make a diagnosis of each individual case before recommending
the best course of action.