Sleep Apnea (OSA)

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Sleep Apnoea

Day dreaming of a good night’s sleep? Suffering from extreme daytime tiredness? Do you have health conditions resulting from poor sleep patterns? Is your snoring driving your partner mad?

Find out how we can help you to rediscover good quality sleep and successfully treat Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a fairly common condition which can lead to poor quality sleep and your sleep being regularly interrupted. OSA occurs when the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep or a partial blockage occurs which interrupts normal breathing patterns.

When sleep apnea occurs, the brain will cause a reaction so you wake up (often in the form of a loud snore or snort). Normal breathing will commence until it happens again.

The two types of breathing interruptions of OSA are:

  • Apnoea – where the muscles and soft tissues in the throat relax and collapse to cause a blockage of the airway
  • Hypopnoea – a partial blockage of the airway that results in 50% reduced airflow for 10 seconds or more

People with OSA may suffer repeated episodes of Apnoea and Hypopnoea, which means they will often wake regularly throughout the night.

Regular sleep disturbance will create a huge negative impact on quality of life

In severe, prolonged or untreated cases, patients suffering from sleep apnoea may be at increased risk of developing certain medical conditions, such as:

  • High blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Stroke or heart attack
  • Irregular heartbeat

Am I suffering from Sleep Apnea?

Most symptoms may generally be picked up by your partner, family and friends first, who will notice problems when you are sleeping, such as:

  • Loud snoring
  • Noisy or laboured breathing
  • Repeated gasping or snorting

Other symptoms that may be noticed by the patient are:

  • Extreme tiredness and fatigue during the day
  • Headaches in the morning
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Forgetfulness
  • Mood swings

The biggest symptom to watch out for is loud or excessive snoring that has constant gasps and pauses.

How Is Sleep Apnoea Diagnosed?

An Apnoea/Hypopnoea index has been developed to identify the severity of each case. It is used to monitor how many Apnoeas occur per hour during sleep. If the score is less than 10 on the index, it is unlikely to be diagnosed as a clinical problem.

At Ascent Dental Care Loughborough, diagnosing sleep apnea is not that simple unfortunately and we may work in conjunction with your GP to ensure we prescribe the correct treatment and provide the right support.

How is Sleep Apnoea treated?

  • Lifestyle changes – such as losing excess weight, reduced alcohol consumption and sleeping on your side can all help to reduce the symptoms of OSA
  • Use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device – these devices prevent your airway closing while you sleep by delivering a continuous supply of compressed air through a mask
  • Wearing a mandibular advancement device (MAD) – wearing a custom -made gum shield at night works by holding your jaw and tongue forward to increase the space at the back of your throat while you sleep. Please read our page on Anti-Snoring Therapy to learn more about the Somnowell device and how this may help OSA.

At Ascent Dental Care Loughborough we are proud to offer FREE Consultations for patients worried about sleep Apnoea. Simply call our friendly team to find out how our flexible approach to your dental needs could result in the smile of your dreams.

0% finance

At Ascent Dental Care Loughborough we offer all patients access to our 0% finance facility, meaning patients have choice and flexibility when it comes to financing their dental needs. Bringing you closer to a beautiful smile that is more affordable than you may think

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