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Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment

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

Sufficient rest and sleep are fundamental to your overall health. You need air. You need water. You need food. You need sleep. It is essential that your brain and body have the time they require to re-boot every single day.

Your body, particularly 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 – death have all been connected to sleep disorders.

Snoring

Snoring Isn’t Just an Annoyance

Often times, snoring is a pre-cursor to a more critical health concern known as sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea experience an obstruction in their airway. Most of the time, they don’t 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!

Go from this…

CPAP

to THIS!

alternative-treatment

Fits in the palm of your hand.

Our Alternative to CPAP

The traditional treatment for sleep apnea has been the CPAP device, and it 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 work with your physician to see if you are eligible for an alternative treatment. Dr. Howard can custom fit you with a small acrylic device that fits over the upper and lower teeth similar to an orthodontic retainer or mouthguard. The appliance gently realigns your tongue and jaw to open your airway and allow more air flow to the lungs as you sleep. It is easy to place and remove, easy to clean, and 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 (913) 379-2218 for a no-cost/no-obligation consultation.