Sleep Apnoea And Snoring

If you or a loved one sufferers from chronic snoring at night, this may be a symptom of OSA

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), affects over 100 million people world-wide. This disorder is caused by the soft tissues at the back of the throat collapsing during sleep, which blocks the flow of air to the lungs, causing a deprivation of oxygen in the vital organs of the body.

Sufferers of this sleep disorder experience a cessation of breathing during sleep and as a result wake dozens, even hundreds, of times a night to kick start their breathing again.

Symptoms associated with obstructive sleep apnoea

Some of the most common symptoms of sleep apnoea include:

• Excessively loud snoring
• Fatigue
• Migraines and headaches
• Choking or gasping during sleep
• Poor concentration, learning difficulties and irritability
• Daytime drowsiness

If you are suffering any of these symptoms we strongly recommend visiting Beecroft Dental Centre in Northern Sydney. Dr Berne can diagnose your symptoms and prescribe the best treatment for your symptoms. The thing about illnesses such as obstructive sleep apnoea (and temporomandibular joint dysfunction) is that no two people will present exactly the same symptoms.

Health risks associated with obstructive sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea can be a life-threatening disorder that has been found to dramatically increase the risk of serious health conditions and accidents such as:

• Coronary heart disease (1.2-5.4 times the risk)
• Stroke (1.6-3.1 times the risk)
• High blood pressure (2.9 times the risk)
• Congestive heart failure (2.4 times the risk)
• Type 2 diabetes (1.5 times the risk)
• Motor accidents (2-7 times increased risk)

In fact, studies have shown that sufferers of obstructive sleep apnoea are responsible for more road accident fatalities than drink driving. This is because obstructive sleep apnoea causes fatigue and daytime drowsiness. Research shows that sleep apnoea is the cause for one in every five road accidents.

At our Beecroft dental practice, we can treat snoring and OSA with oral appliance therapy

This non-invasive treatment helps to bring your jaw into proper alignment during sleep, keeping the airway open by preventing the collapse of soft tissues at the back of the throat. Obesity is a major contributor to the development of obstructive sleep apnoea, so certain lifestyle changes may be prescribed for the management of this sleep disorder.

If oral appliance therapy is unsuccessful, we may have to explore other more invasive treatment options available in our practice, such as oral surgery.