Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but the presence of nightly breathing difficulties is a warning sign you should not ignore. Snoring occurs when soft tissues in the throat partially block your airways. When you suffer obstructive sleep apnea, total blockages occur, and your body has to wake itself to clear them. That interference disrupts your rest cycle and causes spikes in your blood pressure. Over time, the effects of sleep apnea put you at greater risk for hypertension, which leads to difficulties with heart disease and other concerns. Your interrupted rest cycles also leave you with less energy, undesirable mood changes, and a lack of focus. Another concern is that the lack of beneficial sleep makes it more difficult to manage other physical and mental health conditions.
Instead of asking that all people with sleep apnea use a CPAP machine, we can recommend the use of a custom guard in treating this condition. A guard corrects the issue of airway interference that people with obstructive sleep apnea need to address. By making that adjustment to your jaw, we can stop your breathing difficulties from continuing, which means you remain at rest. The regained ability to breathe and sleep soundly will help you resolve hypertension concerns, and it can help you gain back your energy and focus during the day!
There are different warning signs beyond snoring that you should pay attention to if you think sleep apnea has become an issue. One thing to do is pay attention to your current risks for the condition: Does your family have a history with this condition? Are you overweight? Do you have a deviated septum or a larger neck size? These issues, along with habits like evening alcohol consumption and tobacco use, can make you more likely to have limited breathing during the night.
For more information about sleep apnea and how it can be treated, call our Tampa, FL sleep clinic at (813) 607-5337.