Even if you eat right and exercise frequently, your health will suffer if you do not get the necessary amount of quality sleep. Go long enough without proper sleep, and your performance, health, and quality of life all will suffer.
Some people do not get the minimum amount of sleep they need because of their busy lifestyle. Others go without sleep because of their work schedule, which may entail shifts at different times or working overnight. Millions of Americans, however, suffer from sleep deprivation as a consequence of an undiagnosed sleep breathing disorder.
One of the most common, and most serious, sleep breathing disorders is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the airway becomes blocked during sleep, impeding or pausing breathing for as long as 20 seconds at a time. When these breathing interruptions take place, your brain rouses the body from sleep to signal it to breathe, it disrupts the sleep cycle and deprives you of the rest that you need. These pauses could happen more than 30 times per hour for a patient suffering from a severe, undiagnosed case of sleep apnea.
The possible short-term and long-term consequences of sleep loss may include any of the following:
Sleep loss changes your mood and your behavior, often making people who are sleep deprived more short-tempered. Over time, this can strain your relationships with family and friends, and lead to additional stress in your life. A case of sleep apnea also can lead to sleep loss for your partner, considering that loud snoring is the most common symptom of this sleep breathing disorder.
According to data compiled by the National Institute of Health, more than 10 million people are affected by sleep apnea. It is also estimated that approximately 80 percent of all patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea go undiagnosed.
If you have untreated sleep apnea, your risk factor increases for several chronic and potentially life-threatening ailments, including:
At TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan, our doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea. A doctor with this training has the knowledge and experience to diagnose and treat sleep-breathing disorders. To get started, one of our Grand Rapids doctors can perform a thorough evaluation of your airway. Then, propose a treatment plan that will provide relief for the sleep breathing disorder, which helps you get the quality sleep that you need.
We prefer to treat sleep apnea through the use of oral appliance therapy. We offer several different varieties of oral appliances, all of which work similarly—they hold the lower jaw forward, preventing the tongue from falling back and blocking the airway while also safeguarding against a collapse of soft tissue in the throat.
Remember that snoring is the primary warning sign that a sleep breathing disorder may exist. If your loved ones have noted you snore loudly, or that your breathing becomes labored or paused when you sleep, you should receive an airway evaluation from our doctors as soon as possible.
Other common symptoms of sleep apnea include:
Sleep apnea often presents itself as a behavioral disorder in children. If your child has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, but treatment and medication are not curbing their behavioral issues, consider having your child evaluated for the presence of a sleep breathing disorder.
Remember that sleep apnea is a serious condition that will not just go away on its own. This disorder must be diagnosed and treated by a properly trained medical professional, such as one of our doctors at TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan.
The potential consequences listed above are too dire for you to risk living with a case of untreated sleep apnea. Let TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan diagnose and treat the condition, and bring you the nights of uninterrupted, restful sleep that you have been denied.
Everyone needs restful sleep. To be evaluated for sleep apnea or learn more about how we treat this sleep breathing disorder, contact our office today at (616) 929-0892 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jerry Mulder and Dr. Allyson Mulder at TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan.
TMJ & Sleep Disorders of Michigan is here to serve patients in the areas of Grand Rapids, Holland, and Big Rapids, Michigan.
You may also fill out the form below to ask your questions & to request an appointment.
