Sometimes you can love someone very much and still be driven crazy by their snoring. Since more than 90 million North Americans snore, many people find their sleep regularly disrupted by their loved one’s noisy breathing. While this is certainly a troublesome issue on its own, snoring can be the result of sleep apnea, a condition that can frequently interrupt sleep and lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Here’s how you can make sleep apnea treatment into a great gift for Valentine’s Day!
Why Do People Snore?
When a person sleeps, their soft tissues and muscles relax, which causes the structures around the throat to constrict the airway. The extra force needed to move air in and out of the lungs can cause the uvula and soft palate to vibrate, resulting in the noise commonly referred to as snoring.
In cases of sleep apnea, this restricted airflow can cause people to wake up many times throughout any given night, which can take a major toll on their health over time. People with sleep apnea are often weary throughout the day, may deal with unpleasant dreams about not being able to breathe, and may even develop cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure.
How Can Snoring Be Prevented?
Luckily, there are ways to address the issue of snoring. While surgical procedures that aim to remove the tissues that can impair breathing during sleep are available, they have demonstrated only middling success rates of about 20 to 40 percent. Many people use prescribed CPAP machines to keep their airways clear as they sleep. These devices are quite effective at treating sleep apnea, but some have difficulty getting used to them.
Luckily, your sleep dentist can provide your loved one with a customized oral appliance that can effectively treat sleep apnea and snoring by providing the airway with the support it needs to stay adequately open throughout the night. Since they are personalized to meet each patient’s particular needs, they are comfortable to wear and allow many people to sleep much more consistently and restfully.
Why not gift that special someone with a treatment for their sleep apnea or snoring for Valentine’s Day? An oral appliance may help them and everyone else in your house enjoy a better night’s sleep.
About the Author
Dr. Jeff Rodgers earned his dental degree from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry and specializes in dental sleep medicine. He is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. His office in Dunwoody, GA offers treatments for snoring and sleep apnea. To schedule a consultation for yourself or a loved one, contact his office online or dial (770) 394-4310.