Sleep therapy is used to treat Sleep Apnea, a condition which affects roughly 30 million people in the United States alone. In addition to making it hard to get a good night’s sleep, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can contribute to the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, depression, chronic acid reflux, and cognitive decline.
Oral appliances are effective, non-invasive treatments that can help patients cope with their sleep apnea and get back to well-rested nights and healthier lives. The two most common types of sleep appliances include tongue retaining devices—which help pull the tongue away from the mouth during sleep—and mandibular advancement devices, which are anchored to the teeth to correct jaw misalignment during sleep.
Studies have shown improvement in sleep apnea symptoms through specific physical therapy exercises involving the tongue. Our office is happy to educate you on different tongue exercises that may help improve your sleep apnea in conjunction with other modalities and treatments. There’s also been data to show that regular aerobic activity can have a positive impact on sleep apnea patients.
Do you have questions about sleep apnea? We’ve got answers! Find some of the most frequently asked questions below, or contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any other inquiry you have.
Studies have shown that sleep apnea correlates with increasing periodontal disease severity. One possible explanation for this is that people with sleep apnea tend to breathe through their mouths at night, which decreases saliva flow and can make it easier for oral bacteria to thrive. The more bacteria your mouth produces, the easier it may be for gum inflammation and gum disease to occur.
People with sleep apnea often claim that they wake up frequently during the night or experience insomnia. In reality, they’re suffering from interrupted breathing that starts and stops during the night. This can lead to symptoms like the following, which present in many sleep apnea patients:
Not necessarily, no. Snoring is simply caused by a partial obstruction of the upper airways; but by itself, it is not accompanied by an interruption of breath, like sleep apnea is. If you find you are snoring frequently, however, and experiencing disrupted sleep and other symptoms like the ones listed above, come in for a consultation so we can help you breathe (and sleep!) a little easier.