What are the signs of Sleep Apnea spotted by your Dentist?
Worn Teeth from Grinding and Sleep Apnea
Worn teeth/ Grinding / Bruxism – Obstructive sleep apnea blocks the airway and causes the body to find a way to breath. The lower jaw may move around involuntarily trying to clear the obstruction. The teeth just get in the way and are damaged.
Scalloped tongue due to Sleep Apnea
Scalloped tongue – Scalloped tongue often indicates that tongue has been trapped by teeth, and often blocking airway.
Diabetes
Diabetes – Patients with type 2 diabetes may be obese, insulin resistant, and have large amounts of visceral fat (the fat deep inside the body that surrounds the organs). The extra weight causes the tissues in your neck and throat to fall into your airway, resulting in a blockage. Furthermore, patients suffering with Diabetes often have trouble healing. Sleep apnea can increase this risk due to the lack of good healing sleep, and the breakdown within the circulatory system. Vessels damaged from poor sleep make easy targets for diabetes damage
Snoring
Reported snoring or breathing interruption – Have you ever seen your bed partner stop breathing? Wake up suddenly to breathe? Gasp for air in the night? Sawing logs? You don’t know what you are doing when you sleep, so a witness is a good tool!
High Blood pressure/ Sleep Apnea
High blood pressure – Not breathing over and over throughout the night is very stressful on your body. Your body responds to this lack of oxygen and stress by upping your blood pressure. As we know, high blood pressure can be linked to strokes and heart attacks! Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a recognized cause of secondary hypertension. OSA episodes produce surges in systolic and diastolic pressure that keep mean blood pressure levels elevated at night.
Strokes/Heart attacks
Sleep apnea can be very stressful on the circulatory system, and may even contribute to blood clots and damage to the lining of the vessels. Ever heard of someone having a heart attack or stroke in the middle of the night? It is possible that it could have been related to sleep apnea
Acid Reflux and Sleep Apnea
Someone who has obstructive sleep apnea will often struggle to breathe. This struggling will cause the stomach to move up and down pumping acid up into the mouth. Are you or someone you love taking acid reflux medication? It might be because of obstructive sleep apnea!
Depression
Poor sleep inhibits the proper brain functions, and chemical balances to fight off depression. Many of those who suffer from depression have sleep disturbances and fight an ongoing battle with sleep
Excessive sleepiness
Waking up tired, falling asleep during the day while sitting. Even worse, falling asleep at the wheel!
Call our Pasadena Texas Sleep Office today to schedule with Drs. Nugent and West. The office number is 832-457-0647. Sleep better with the help of dental sleep apnea appliance therapy.
