The discovery of sleep apnea has paved the way for millions of people to sleep better at night and regain their health. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout rest, sometimes hundreds of times throughout the night. This is not just a pesky little problem as sleep apnea has potentially dangerous effects if left untreated.

There are three categories of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form. This occurs when throat muscles relax, blocking the airway.
• Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
• Complex sleep apnea is a combination of obtrusive and central sleep apnea.

Once diagnosed, the disorder is actually quite treatable. Some of the common signs of sleep apnea are:

• Consistently waking up feeling out of breath
• Consistently waking to use the bathroom several times a night
• Consistently waking with a dry mouth or sore throat
• Tiredness and difficulty concentrating even after a full night’s sleep
• Irritability and/or depression
• Waking with headaches

Over the years, several medical treatments have also been developed. Now, you may not consider your dentist to be someone who can diagnose and treat your sleep apnea, but this is actually very possible.


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