Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder where your breathing is disrupted during the night. You snore, gasp for air, wake up repeatedly, and feel exhausted during the day. If left untreated, you may suffer severe complications such as heart disease, diabetes, or cardiac arrest. Sleep apnea is a condition that your dentist can help manage.

At Tayani Dental Group in Fullerton, we offer sleep apnea management to achieve better breathing and sleep. If you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea, contact us to find out today what your options are.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which your breathing stops and starts repeatedly when asleep. Apnea causes pauses in breathing that last from only a few seconds to over a minute. The main types of sleep apnea include:

  1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – It is the most common and occurs when your throat muscles relax too much and block the airway. OSA affects the following people:

    1. Individuals with excess weight. Fat deposits around the neck can obstruct your upper airway during sleep.

    2. Older adults because sleep patterns and muscle tone change with time.

    3. Men. Men are two to three times more likely to have OSA.

    4. Individuals with certain medical conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or chronic lung disease such as asthma.

  2. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) – This happens when your brain does not send the right signals to your breathing muscles. CSA is prevalent in the following people:

    1. Individuals with heart disorders, like congestive heart failure, disturb the brain's signals to the breathing muscles.

    2. Stroke survivors.

    3. Individuals living in high altitude areas due to Breathing instability.

    4. People using opioid medications.

  3. Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome – It is a combination of OSA and CSA.

How Common Is Sleep Apnea?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) estimates that 30 million adults in the U.S. have sleep apnea, but only 6 million are formally diagnosed. The majority of cases are undetected because sleep apnea is present when the person is asleep. Therefore, you are less likely to notice the symptoms.

Studies have found that about 10 percent to 30 percent of adults in the US have OSA. Some risk factors, like obesity, age, and gender, increase this percentage. For example, middle-aged men are vulnerable, with nearly 1 in 4 men between 30 and 49 years of age having OSA. Nearly as high prevalence occurs among postmenopausal women.

Less than 1% of the general population has CSA. However, the fact is that the prevalence spikes in people with heart conditions and those with neurological disorders. About half of people with heart failure develop CSA.

Sleep apnea can also affect children. Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea is estimated to occur in 1% to 5% of children, especially those with enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Untreated childhood sleep apnea can cause behavioral issues, poor academic performance, and developmental delays.

How Does Sleep Apnea Affect My Body?

Sleep apnea disrupts your body’s natural sleep pattern and causes fragmented rest and health problems. Below are the stages of sleep and how sleep apnea affects each stage:

  1. Stage 1. This is when you fall from wakefulness to sleep. Your brain activity slows, and your muscles become less active. Brief arousals during this stage can occur due to sleep apnea and prevent you from moving on to deeper sleep. These interruptions may be fleeting, and you might not realize sleep apnea is happening. Interruptions could break up your sleep continuity.

  2. Stage 2. As you wind down for deep sleep, your heart rate slows, and your body temperature drops. During this stage, sleep apnea episodes cause frequent awakenings that reduce sleep efficiency, leaving you feeling unrefreshed when you wake up.

  3. Stage 3. Stage 3, also called deep or slow-wave sleep, helps with physical restoration and recovery. Sleep apnea can lower the amount of time spent in deep sleep, disrupting the body’s ability to regenerate tissues, build bone and muscle, or strengthen the immune system. This can leave you feeling more tired and having a weaker immune system.

  4. REM Sleep. Most dreaming happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep when your brain is most active. It helps with memory consolidation and mood regulation. Because muscle tone is decreased during REM sleep, sleep apnea often worsens during REM sleep, and, therefore, there are more apneic events. These disruptions can cause memory, concentration, and emotional instability. Additionally, reduced REM sleep has been associated with early atherosclerosis, which could also be a sign of cardiovascular risk.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Common symptoms of sleep apnea are:

  • Feeling exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep.

  • Dozing off at any time of the day, especially when you need to be alert, such as when you are driving or at work.

  • Mood swings, irritability, and anxiety.

  • Snoring due to blocked airways.

  • Having trouble concentrating, memory problems, or mental fog.

  • Waking up many times during the night.

  • Pauses in breathing for 30 to 60 seconds while asleep that others witness.

  • Unusual patterns of breathing during sleep, such as shallow or irregular breathing. You may have rapid, shallow breaths with pauses or loud gasps.

  • Insomnia.

  • Reduced libido or difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection.

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

Many causes of sleep apnea are different from person to person. Often the causes are due to anatomical, neurological, and physiological factors in relation to genetics, lifestyle habits, or underlying medical conditions.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

OSA happens when the muscles in the back of the throat become too relaxed while you sleep. This relaxation causes a temporary blockage of the upper airway and prevents airflow and normal breathing patterns. Several anatomical factors can cause OSA, including obesity, an enlarged tonsil or adenoid, a thick neck circumference, or a narrow airway.

Also, the relaxation of muscles that keep the throat open can cause airway collapse. If the airway is blocked, the body cannot take in enough oxygen, and the brain starts to wake up—just long enough to restart breathing. This disruption can occur many times each night, causing poor sleep quality and increased daytime fatigue.

OSA is exacerbated by other health conditions, such as nasal congestion, which makes breathing through the nose more difficult, thus making it more likely that the airway will collapse during sleep.

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)

CSA occurs when the brain does not send the right signals to the muscles that control breathing. In CSA, the brain temporarily stops telling the respiratory muscles to breathe, and there are periods of apnea.

This is a condition of the nervous system not being able to regulate normal breathing during sleep. People with certain neurological conditions, such as brainstem dysfunction, or who have had strokes or another type of brain injury that affects the brain's respiratory centers, are commonly diagnosed with CSA.

In addition, it can be linked to heart failure, which is when the heart doesn’t function properly and causes irregular breathing patterns while you are sleeping.

Mixed/Complex Sleep Apnea

People with mixed or complex sleep apnea have both the airway obstruction typical of OSA and the failure of the brain to send the right breathing signals, as with CSA.

The airway collapse typical of OSA may be experienced first by the individual during sleep, followed by periods when the brain fails to regulate breathing. The mixed form is particularly difficult to diagnose and treat because it includes features of both disorders.

Therefore, it requires a multifactorial approach. Sometimes, the person starts with predominantly obstructive sleep apnea but then develops central sleep apnea as the night goes on.

Patients with chronic conditions such as heart disease or neurological disorders or who are in treatment for other serious medical problems are commonly affected by this condition.

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

Your dentist diagnoses sleep apnea through a thorough evaluation, which usually starts with reviewing your medical history and symptoms. You are asked detailed questions like:

  1. Do you often wake up feeling tired?

  2. Are you sleepy during the day?

  3. Has anyone noticed pauses in your breathing at night?

Your dentist will also check your weight, neck circumference, and any underlying health conditions that could worsen sleep apnea.

After your physical examination, a dentist may look at your throat, mouth, and nose to check for any anatomical problems that could be causing airway obstruction. Anything from enlarged tonsils to a deviated nasal septum or a narrow airway can play a role. Depending on what your dentist finds during this initial evaluation, they may decide that further testing is needed.

If your symptoms are strong for sleep apnea, you are referred to have a sleep study to confirm the diagnosis. The purpose of this evaluation is to find out if you have sleep apnea, and if so, how severe it is and what type of sleep apnea you may have.

Untreated sleep apnea can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and chronic fatigue, so an accurate diagnosis is obligatory.

What Tests Will Be Done To Diagnose Sleep Apnea?

Your dentist might order diagnostic tests to measure the patterns of your sleep, breathing, and other physiological functions during sleep. These tests measure how often your breathing is interrupted, how long each interruption lasts, and how much your oxygen and overall sleep quality are affected. Common diagnostic tests are:

  1. Overnight Sleep Study (Polysomnogram)

A polysomnogram is a test conducted in a sleep center or hospital during which you stay the night under close monitoring. In the study, sensors are placed on different parts of your body while they monitor brain activity, eye movement, heart rate, blood oxygen level, breathing patterns, and limb movement.

The sensors record real-time data as you drift into sleep, and sleep specialists can see how often your breathing stops or becomes shallow. They also take note of how these interruptions affect your sleep cycles and your oxygen levels. Typically, the test records apneas and hypopneas to measure your condition’s severity.

  1. Home Sleep Apnea Testing

Your dentist may recommend this option if they think you have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. With home testing, you receive a portable device to use in your bed. With the kit, a nasal cannula to measure airflow, chest bands to monitor breathing effort, and a finger sensor to track your blood oxygen levels.

You will set up the equipment according to the instructions provided before bedtime. While you sleep, the device will record data, including your breathing patterns and episodes of reduced airflow or complete pauses. This is because the test is done in your usual sleep environment, which can be more accurate than an in-lab study.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

Depending on what you are diagnosed with, you could receive lasting relief from a combination of lifestyle changes, medical interventions, and dental surgery procedures. Recommendable treatment options include:

  1. Weight Loss

Carrying extra fat around the neck and throat blocks your airway, collapsing your airway during sleep. If you have a high Body Mass Index (BMI), weight loss can reduce the severity of your symptoms or even eliminate them.

  1. Position Changes While Sleeping And Sleep Aid Items

The severity of sleep apnea episodes is dependent on your sleeping position. Your tongue and soft tissues can lie on your back and collapse backward, blocking your airway. Sleeping on your side can help you learn to reduce the frequency of these blockages.

There are specialized pillows, positional therapy devices, and wearable sleep aids to help you keep your side sleeping position during the night. As time goes on, your breathing patterns will adjust, and you will have fewer apnea episodes.

  1. Nasal Sprays and Adhesive Strips

Saline-based or medicated over-the-counter nasal sprays can reduce swelling and reopen your airways. Adhesive nasal strips lift the nasal passages, making it easier to breathe through your nose.

If sleep apnea is mild, these dental solutions are often enough to provide relief. Dental treatments, however, are usually most effective when used in conjunction with other therapies.

  1. Treating The Underlying Condition

Sleep apnea may be worsened by some medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism, allergies, or sinus infections. Treating these underlying issues may help reduce or eliminate your symptoms.

Reducing inflammation can correct hormonal imbalances and reduce airway obstruction. Once you start treating these contributing factors, you are making the environment more conducive to restful sleep. Your dentist will work with specialists to treat these conditions as part of your overall treatment plan.

  1. Medication Changes

Some medications, such as sedatives, muscle relaxants, or opioids, can relax the muscles in your airway and make sleep apnea worse. Your dentist may change your prescriptions or suggest other medications not to interfere with your breathing if you are taking these medications. Your dentist may never tell you to stop taking medication but can modify your treatment plan to reduce sleep apnea symptoms.

  1. Positive Airway Pressure (Pap) And Adaptive Ventilation

One of the most effective treatments for sleep apnea, particularly in moderate to severe cases, is Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy. During PAP therapy, a machine blows a steady or adjustable stream of air through a mask that goes over your nose or mouth.

This air pressure prevents your airway from collapsing, which causes apneas. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common type of PAP therapy because it involves a steady, unchanging flow of air.

If CPAP is uncomfortable, Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) and Adaptive Servo Ventilation (ASV) may be a better fit. BiPAP delivers two different pressures, including one for inhalation and a lower one for exhalation. Real-time ASV adapts to your breathing pattern, which makes it perfect for central sleep apnea or complex cases. PAP therapy takes some adjusting, but many people find it life-changing, as it restores restful sleep and reduces daytime fatigue.

  1. Oral Devices

For people with mild to moderate sleep apnea, oral appliances are an alternative to PAP therapy. Often prescribed by a dentist specializing in sleep medicine, these devices are custom made for your mouth. Repositioning your jaw or tongue to keep your airway open during sleep, these work. MAD (mandibular advancement devices) are the most common, pushing your lower jaw slightly forward to prevent airway collapse.

A tongue-retaining device is another option, in which your tongue is held in place so that it won't fall back and block your airway. Portable, compact, and easy to use, oral appliances appeal to those who can't bear the PAP machines. These devices are not as universally effective as PAP therapy, but they can reduce symptoms greatly in many people.

Nerve Stimulators

When other treatments fail, nerve stimulation is the cutting-edge solution for obstructive sleep apnea. The most commonly used device is the hypoglossal nerve stimulator, implanted during a small dental surgery. Mild electrical impulses are sent to the nerve that controls your tongue, which prevents your tongue from blocking your airway during sleep. The small remote turns on the stimulator before bedtime, and it works in sync with your breathing patterns.

Patients who cannot tolerate PAP therapy respond better to nerve stimulation. This gives you a discreet, automated way to keep your airway open and breathe more naturally during the night.

Surgery

Surgical intervention may be needed when conservative and medical treatments fail. Anatomical issues that contribute to sleep apnea can be addressed in several ways by surgery.

  • Somnoplasty. Radiofrequency energy is used in somnoplasty to shrink excess tissue in the throat to lessen airway obstruction. A quicker recovery than traditional surgery, this procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia.

  • Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy. In children, tonsils or adenoids can swell and block your airway. These tissues can be removed to relieve sleep apnea symptoms significantly.

  • Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). UPPP removes or reshapes excess tissue in your throat, including the uvula and parts of the soft palate. It widens the airway to reduce the chance of it collapsing.

  • Jaw Surgery. Also known as maxillomandibular advancement (MMA), this dental surgery repositions your jaw to enlarge the airway. However, it is a more extensive procedure, but effective for severe sleep apnea.

  • Nasal Surgery. Structural problems like a deviated septum or nasal polyps can be corrected to improve airflow and reduce the severity of sleep apnea.

Find A Competent Fullerton Dentist Near Me

Sleep apnea takes away your restful sleep and puts your health at risk. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to severe complications like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, persistent fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. These can degrade the quality of your life.

However, if you undergo diagnosis, management, and treatment at a reputable Fullerton dental clinic, you can regain control, achieve restorative sleep, and protect your health. At the Tayani Dental Group, we offer expert dental solutions for sleep apnea. We determine the ideal dental treatment to help you breathe easier and sleep better. If seeking sleep apnea treatment, call us today at 949-741-0795 to schedule a consultation.