Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment

 

Always Tired? The Importance of Getting the Rest You Need to Maintain Good Health

Sufficient rest and real sleep are fundamental to everybody's overall health. We need air, water, and food. And we need sleep. It's essential that your brain and body have the time they require to re-boot every single day.

Your body, and especially your heart, gathers stress throughout the day. When you finally rest at night, your heart slows itself down and begins to decompress, relieving the stresses it has gathered. Your body needs time to recoup and collect enough energy to tackle another day. In sleep, your brain and body revitalize themselves. Your blood pressure declines, and the pace of age-related diseases slows down. You can curb illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, memory loss and diabetes.

Lack of sleep can burden your heart by placing excessive strain and stress on the muscle. Heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease – and, in severe circumstances, even death – have all been connected to sleep disorders.

Snoring Isn’t Just an Annoyance

Often, snoring is a precursor to a more critical health concern known as sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea experience an obstruction in their airway. They might not even realize it. The obstruction prevents them from getting oxygen regularly throughout the night. Sleep apnea is a major contributing factor to heart disease. Those suffering from sleep apnea experience elevated blood pressure which is a key risk factor in acquiring heart disease and strokes.

The outcome of sleep loss can result in serious health concerns and premature death. Sleep deprivation can have negative effects on the function of your brain, increasing stress hormones and leading to depression. Even if you have only mild sleep apnea, being fitted with an oral appliance can result in the reduction or even cessation of snoring. This could be a great gift to your partner!

Our Alternative to CPAP

The traditional treatment for sleep apnea has been the CPAP device and it still remains the gold standard for moderate to severe sleep apnea. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Air Pressure. The patient is fitted with a machine that pumps a continuous stream of air into the patient’s nose or mouth throughout the night. However, many people find this uncomfortable and they stop wearing the mask.

If you have sleep apnea and can’t tolerate or are frustrated with your CPAP, we can offer you an alternative treatment. Dr. Marino can custom fit you with an oral appliance. These are small acrylic devices that fit over the upper and lower teeth similar to an orthodontic retainer or mouthguard. They gently realign your tongue and jaw to open your airway and allow more air flow to the lungs as you sleep. They are easy to place and remove, easy to clean and are convenient for travel.  These devices are amazingly comfortable and have an excellent success rate for sleep apnea and snoring.

Snoring and sleep apnea don’t have to fill your nights. Give us a call today at (858) 578-0800 for a no-cost/no-obligation consultation.