St. Augustine, FL
Snoring or gasping for air while sleeping may sound alarming to your sleep partner, although you are likely unaware if you exhibit these symptoms. However, both signs are common symptoms of an airway disorder called obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, which affects people of all ages and health statuses, even athletes. OSA is when there is a blockage in the airways, and as air seeps past the blockage, the tissue vibrates and causes snoring. Soft tissue blockages can be caused by various things, and snoring isn’t the only symptom of sleep apnea. So today on the blog, our St. Augustine airway dentist shares eight signs that you might have sleep apnea and what you can do about it.
You Snore
As previously mentioned, snoring, or gasping for air is one of the main sleep apnea symptoms. However, occasional snoring may be due to allergies or a cold. But if you are a heavy snorer or snore every night, there could be something more serious going on, like OSA. But if you’re single or are unable to tell if you snore while sleeping, there are other signs to look out for.
You Wake With a Dry Mouth
Since sleep apnea relates to blocked airways, the body compensates for that by mouth breathing. And if you continually wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat, it could be because you’re breathing through your mouth all night due to blocked airways.
You Get Headaches a Lot
Frequent headaches can be due to a low oxygenation in the blood, and from a lack of quality sleep. And low blood oxygenation can cause your blood vessels to widen, which leads to vascular headaches. Therefore, if you frequently wake with morning headaches and there isn’t another reason for your head pain, then OSA could be to blame.
You’re Tired Every Day
Chronic fatigue is often chalked up to aging or staying up too late. But it’s not normal! Just because you’ve made a lot of trips around the sun, as in you’re aging, doesn’t mean you have to settle for low energy and daytime sleepiness. The reason chronic fatigue is related to sleep apnea is that the brain is constantly being awakened out of the deepest stage of the sleep cycle known as REM sleep. You may be unaware of these awakenings, but your brain is suffering, which could make you feel tired day after day.
You Have Bruxism
Bruxism is a condition in which you clench and grind your teeth, usually while sleeping. You might have this disorder if you wake with head or dental pain, have random toothaches in otherwise healthy teeth, and if your teeth look worn down or flat on the chewing surface. Bruxism is the body’s natural way to try and adapt to a narrow or blocked airway by adjusting the jaw. Unfortunately, you could be grinding down your teeth in the process.
You Feel Anxious
Lack of sleep can often lead a person to feel anxious. And many adults choose to caffeinate to get through the day. Unfortunately, over-caffeinating can lead to anxiety or anxious feelings. So, if you find that you rely too much on caffeine or afternoon sugar fixes day after day, the problem might be related to poor sleep quality or OSA.
You Keep Gaining Weight or Struggle to Lose Weight
Weight control is directly related to sleep quality. Every fitness influencer on Instagram these days will tell you how important sleep quality is to your body’s ability to recover and generate new muscle mass cells and burn fat. And, since OSA and poor sleep quality are directly related, OSA could be to blame for your inability to lose weight or if you find that you keep putting on pounds despite your best efforts to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet.
You Have Chronic Health Issues
Untreated sleep apnea can lead to other chronic health issues such as cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance (diabetes), acid reflux, tooth loss, high blood pressure, gum disease, and certain types of cancer. How is this possible? Because OSA invokes an immune system response, which leads to chronic inflammation, a precursor to many other health conditions and chronic illnesses, even cancer.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in St. Augustine and Palm Coast, Florida
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s essential to have a sleep apnea screening in St. Augustine at Palencia Dental to determine if you have OSA. Our patients have had significant success wearing a custom oral orthotic for their OSA instead of relying on a CPAP machine that is noisy and difficult to keep clean. Therefore, if you’re ready to schedule a sleep apnea screening or want to learn more about treatment for OSA, contact Palencia Dental at 904-664-5254.
