How can we help you get a better night's sleep?
At West Madison Dental, we want to understand your sleep needs and find the best solution for you. We are here to guide you through the entire process, from setting up a sleep study to choosing a custom oral appliance that will best serve your needs.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious medical condition in which your upper airway passages become blocked intermittently throughout your sleep, stopping the flow of oxygen until you awake and begin to breathe again. People who suffer from OSA experience these interruptions in their sleep many times an hour throughout the night, although they can be unaware that this is happening.
Sleep apnea is a condition that can lead to numerous other health problems. Common side effects that sleep apnea patients experience are:
- Heart attacks and irregular heartbeats
- High blood pressure
- Dry mouth or sore throat
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Trouble focusing
- Headaches
- Extreme Irritability
- Chronic sleepiness
Why do I snore?
Snoring can be more than just a nuisance; it might be a sign of a deeper issue affecting your health and quality of sleep. Snoring happens when your airway is partially blocked while you sleep. The narrowing of the airway causes your soft palate to vibrate, and snoring ensues. In some situations, this airway blockage is minor and the body continues to get adequate amounts of oxygen. However, this is a red flag as it could also be one of the early signs or a symptom of sleep apnea. A sleep study should be done to determine the seriousness of one’s condition.
What should I do if I think I might have Sleep Apnea?
A good place to start can be an at-home sleep test to screen for and diagnose sleep apnea. Home sleep tests are generally more comfortable for patients, since they can be done in the comfort of your bed and with fewer wires.
At West Madison Dental, we have partnered with Braebon Medical to provide our patients with easy access to an at-home sleep test. In our office, we have a Medibyte Jr take-home sleep test that we can set up for you. For $199, we will have a sleep technician verify your data and a sleep physician give you a diagnosis.
These take-home portable devices cannot measure as wide a range of factors as machines found in a sleep center, but they will be able to give you a better picture of what goes on while you sleep. This is our first step to helping you get the treatment you need for a better night's sleep.
