Taking care of your smile is a lifelong process and one that could definitely benefit from an upgrade every now and then. Though we may be familiar with the common concerns of tooth decay and gum disease, it is important to recognize that a host of nontraditional concerns can also negatively influence your oral health. For instance, chronic teeth grinding can lead to a dangerous jaw dysfunction known as TMJ disorder, and routine snoring could be indicative of a much bigger concern known as sleep apnea. In today’s blog, your Cedar Rapids, IA dentist discusses the impacts of chronic snoring and how our team can help.
More Than Simply Snoring
By now, most of us have either been around an individual that snores or perpetrators of snoring ourselves. While we may have been led to believe that snoring is an indicator of a restful night of sleep, on the contrary, it often means there is a bigger concern going on than you might have initially expected.
Indeed, snoring is a process that occurs when the muscles in your throat become relaxed, causing the tissues to occupy more space in the throat. This leads to even greater difficulty allowing air to pass freely through your airway, and the reverberations of oxygen through the restricted passageway generates the snoring noise you are familiar with.
Though occasional snoring is not something to necessarily fret about, chronic or persistent snoring is likely an indicator that there is something bigger going on. In fact, chronic snoring is one of the telltale signs of obstructive sleep apnea, and it is important you come in to seek treatment as soon as possible. For more information about this process and how our team can help, give us a call today.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
Whether you are aware of it or not, loud, chronic snoring is often indicative of bigger health concerns. One of the biggest issues that could arise is sleep apnea, a phenomenon that creates a blockage in your throat and restricts the amount of air that gets through.
Though minor blockages still allow air through, the throat becomes so restricted during an episode of sleep apnea to the point that the person experiences periods of halted breathing followed by gasping. To learn more about this process and what our team can do to help, give our office a call.
Other Lifelong Implications
Without treatment, sleep apnea will result in immediate symptoms and effects such as fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and hypersomnia during the day. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea not only causes immediate side effects, but it can progress into total-body problems. For instance, sleep apnea has been linked to cardiovascular concerns, liver issues, complications with medicine and surgeries, and more.
Schedule Your Visit Today
Contact Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA by calling 319-364-7108 to learn more about the dangers of untreated sleep apnea and schedule your next appointment with our office today.
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