Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: or Why Snoring is a Sign of Something Much Worse

Waking Up Tired? Headaches? You Could Be Suffering From Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

You could also be suffering from TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder)…
That is one of the biggest problems with conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and TMD: the symptoms seem so commonplace, fatigue, headaches, poor concentration that sometimes it is hard to distinguish between a bad night’s sleep and something as dangerous as OSA or debilitating as TMD. At Beecroft Dental Centre our team is able to diagnose both obstructive sleep apnoea and TMD.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and your health

What sets OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnoea) apart from TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder), apart from the fact that they affect two different areas, is that OSA can be identified by snoring. That is to say that snoring can be is a symptom of OSA.
OSA can cause your breath to either become shallow or stop completely while you sleep. If you stop breathing your body has to wake itself up and start the breathing process all over again. This can happen hundreds of times a night without you even knowing about it, which is why you might wake up tired, sore and with a headache.

Sleep Apnoea Has Been Linked To Other Serious Health Conditions

There isn’t anything funny about snoring, especially when you consider that it can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea has been linked to many other problems such as:

• Car accidents
• Acid reflux
• Adult asthma
• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Type two diabetes

What the Latest Research Says About Sleep Apnoea

There are actually a high number of car accidents that have been linked to sleep apnoea. The figures published from a study last month found that people with untreated sleep apnoea were three times more likely to be in a car crash. This is due to the fatigue that is caused by sleep apnoea. It is also a strong reason why you should visit Beecroft Dental Centre to see how we can treat sleep apnoea.

Recent research has shown that people with sleep apnoea have a cardiovascular mortality rate four times higher than a person without sleep apnoea. This research also found that the general mortality rate for patients with untreated sleep apnoea is two and a half times higher than people without sleep apnoea.

What Beecroft Dental Centre Can Do For You

If you suffer from sleep apnoea or snoring, our team can help treat it with oral appliance therapy. Oral appliance therapy is a non-invasive treatment that is designed to bring your jaw back into proper alignment while you sleep—it also keeps your airway open during sleep providing you with a better sleep.

What Happens If Oral Appliance Therapy Isn’t Enough?

If the oral appliance therapy isn’t enough or isn’t successful, at Beecroft Dental Centre we do provide oral surgery. Dr Berne has over two decades of experience performing oral surgery.
For more information on how Beecroft Dental Centre can help treat sleep apnoea, talk to us today.