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Los Angeles Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Consistent, loud snoring is an extremely common sign of sleep apnea. If our team at Sherman Oaks Dentistry discovers the possibility that you might have sleep apnea, we will recommend consulting with your physician. We can also recommend a sleep specialist for a diagnosis.
Once you have received a sleep apnea diagnosis, we are able to provide sleep apnea treatment in Los Angeles tailored to your needs at Sherman Oaks Dentistry. Not everyone can or is willing to wear a CPAP Mask. Ask about our alternative to CPAP Masks, a Mandibular Advancement Appliance, custom fitted to your mouth.
Sleep apnea should cause no fear with the right treatment. You are not alone! Call us today to make an appointment at 818-784-0763 so our team of experts can provide the most effective treatment for snoring and sleep apnea.
Warning Signs and Risk Factors
Often, the person experiencing sleep apnea will not be aware of their symptoms of interrupted sleep. Instead, their partner generally notices their breathing issues while they sleep.
Some Common Signs to Watch Out For:
- Overwhelming fatigue or drowsiness during the day
- Regularly choking, gasping for air, or snoring while sleeping
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Decreased libido
- Morning headaches
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Waking up with a dry mouth or raw throat
- Pauses in your breathing
- Feeling unrefreshed after waking up
- Waking up throughout the night to use the restroom
Some Risk Factors Associated With Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):
Men are twice as likely to have OSA as women. Other factors include:
- Excess weight
- Family history (sleep apnea is hereditary)
- High blood pressure
- Large neck size (17”+ for men and 16”+ for women)
- Being middle-aged
If left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can be life-threatening. OSA involves pauses in your breathing for up to 10 seconds or more at a time while sleeping. This blockage of breathing causes a dangerous decrease in oxygenation to the blood, in addition to decreased sleep quality.
If your breathing becomes infrequent enough, it can cause instant tissue ischemia (the death of tissue due to lack of oxygen) in your heart or your brain. This can result in a heart attack or a stroke.
If you or someone you know notice these symptoms and feel concerned about the associated risk factors, call us at Sherman Oaks Dentistry immediately. We can refer you to a sleep specialist for an official diagnosis before we begin treatment at our Los Angeles location for snoring and sleep apnea.
We Offer Sleep Apnea Treatment at Our Los Angeles Location
Treating snoring and sleep apnea in Los Angeles at Sherman Oaks Dentistry is a breeze with our team of highly professional, attentive experts. Treatments for sleep apnea vary depending on its severity.
Cases of mild sleep apnea usually call for lifestyle and behavioral changes. These may include altering your sleeping position, losing weight, stopping smoking, or wearing oral appliances to reposition your jaw.
Using a dental appliance, similar to a mouth guard, is another form of treatment. These are custom-fit and designed to shift your tongue and jaw to keep your airway open.
For a more severe case of obstructive sleep apnea, our Los Angeles office offers a more aggressive treatment utilizing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system. This device forces air into a tube connected to a mask that you wear while you sleep; this applies pressure and ensures your airway doesn’t collapse.
The most severe cases may require surgery. Most commonly, this involves the removal and repositioning of a surplus of throat tissue to expand your airway and improve your breathing.
Tonsillectomy is an additional service that may be an option. Removing your tonsils involves repositioning the muscular structure of the soft palate or trimming down the soft palate as well as the uvula, allowing more airflow as well.
Sleep apnea may sound scary because of the risks associated with it. However, if you catch it early on and treat it properly, you can alleviate most, if not all, of your symptoms.
If these risks and symptoms concern you, reach out to us, your physician, or a sleep medicine specialist to find out if you fit the criteria for an official diagnosis. If you do, come visit us at Sherman Oaks Dentistry in Los Angeles and let us help you through the treatment process for snoring and sleep apnea.
Find relief today by calling our expert team at Sherman Oaks Dentistry at 818-784-0763! Speak to our Los Angeles sleep apnea dentist, who can answer all of your questions and concerns. We will evaluate you to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes! Snoring is one of the most common signs of sleep apnea. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. If snoring concerns you, consult with your physician or a sleep medicine specialist for their opinion.
No, only severe cases of diagnosed obstructed sleep apnea require a CPAP.
No. Snoring is not a definitive sign of sleep apnea, and only those with obstructive sleep apnea have risks if they fail to treat it.
No foods cause sleep apnea, but some foods can make pre-existing sleep apnea worse. These foods include bananas, refined carbohydrates, dairy, alcohol, rich and spicy food, caffeine, fiber-enriched food, and fatty meats.