Sleep apnea is a common, yet often undiagnosed sleep disorder. It afflicts 20 million adult women and men in the United States. The 
Healthy Smile Center, which is located in Ashtabula OH, offers an oral appliance treatment for sleep apnea. Read on to get answers to frequently asked questions about sleep apnea.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs when an individual's breathing is interrupted while asleep. Individuals with sleep apnea stop breathing over and over again while asleep, sometimes hundreds of times. Sleep apnea is an ongoing condition that disrupts your sleep.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
The most common cause of sleep apnea obesity and being overweight. During sleep, when tongue and throat muscles are more relaxed, the soft tissues of the mouth and throat can cause the airway passages to become blocked. Excessive alcohol use, smoking, and the use of sedatives is also associated with sleep apnea.
Do I Have Sleep Apnea?
The major symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, episodes of waking at night feeling short of breath, pauses in breathing during sleep, and daytime sleepiness. In addition, individuals with sleep apnea often have morning headaches, irritability, insomnia, and fatigue.
How is it Diagnosed?
Physicians diagnose sleep apnea based on medical histories, a physical examination, and sleep study results. Sleep specialists are physicians who diagnose people who have sleep problems. If an individual is diagnosed with the sleep apnea, he or she may return to the dentist to receive treatment.
What Treatments Are Available?
For a milder case of sleep apnea, simple lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or avoiding alcohol may be enough to reduce your symptoms. Oral appliance therapy is an effective treatment option for this disorder. An oral sleep appliance can improve your sleep and revitalize your health. The oral appliance repositions the jaw during sleep preventing the airway from becoming obstructed.
You can stop sleep apnea today. Sleep apnea increases your risk for health problems, so it's important to see an Ashtabula, OH dentist right away.Call The Healthy Smile Center in Ashtabula, OH at 440-992-2700 right now to schedule an appointment with one of our world-class dentists.