Nearly half of all Americans snore from time to time. It’s annoying, but not necessarily something to worry about. A quarter of Americans snore on a regular basis — and that’s when it’s time to take action.
Regular snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that can have a serious impact on your health.
At Dr. Taylor’s Family Dental Center, Marvin Taylor, DDS, provides simple, safe, and effective solutions for snoring, helping patients in Waterford, Michigan, improve their sleep and their health.
If you have a snoring habit, here’s why it’s so important to get treatment.
Occasional snoring is typically nothing to worry about. It might be caused by an allergy, a cold, dry air, or a problem with your nose, like having a deviated septum. But if snoring is caused by OSA, it’s a much more serious concern.
OSA causes your airway to close off multiple times during sleep. Sometimes, the interruptions in your breathing are so small you might not even know you have OSA. Other times, they can leave you coughing and gasping for breath.
Either way, all those interruptions in your breathing can have major consequences for your health, which means it’s very important to get treatment as early as possible.
Without treatment, OSA increases your risks for:
What’s more, snoring on a regular basis interferes with your ability to get a good night’s sleep, leaving you feeling fatigued, irritable, and “unfocused” throughout the day. Not getting enough sleep can also increase your risk of serious accidents.
Most people benefit from a simple overnight oral device, similar to a mouthguard. Sleep apnea oral devices work by gently moving your jaw slightly forward. The slight repositioning helps keep your airway open while you sleep, so you can breathe normally without interruption and snoring.
Each device is custom designed for the individual patient. We don’t use a “one-size-fits-all” approach like over-the-counter or mail-order products. That means greater comfort for you, greater compliance in using the device, and more benefits overall. Plus, the material is soft yet durable, so it can withstand nightly use while avoiding irritation and discomfort.
Once you’re fitted for your device, you’ll come back in six months to ensure a good fit, then every six to 12 months to make sure your device works the way it’s intended.
In some cases, if an oral device doesn’t provide a complete solution, you might need to be fitted for a CPAP machine. This device uses continuous positive airway pressure to help keep your airway open at night so you continue to breathe normally.
Snoring might seem like a relatively benign — if annoying — habit. But if your snoring is caused by OSA, it could significantly increase your risk for major medical problems.
Putting an end to snoring and improving your nighttime breathing could be as simple as wearing a comfortable mouthguard while you sleep.
If you’ve got a snoring habit, you owe it to yourself, your health, and your loved ones to get the treatment you need for better sleep and better wellness. To learn more about our snoring solutions, call the office or use our online form to schedule a consultation today.
