Many see snoring as an irritating noise coming from the other side of the bed, however it can have much more serious connotations than that.
Snoring is defined as a coarse sound made by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissue in the mouth, nose & throat. It is caused by turbulence inside the airway during breathing. The turbulence is caused by a part blockage that may be located anywhere from the tip of the nose to the vocal chords. The restriction may occur only during sleep, or it could be happening all the time but be worse when we are asleep. This is because our muscle tone is reduced during sleep and there may be insufficient muscle tone to prevent the airway tissue vibrating. During waking hours muscle tone keeps the airway in good shape, hence we don't snore when awake.
Snoring is something that cannot be stopped when you choose, neither is it something that can be 'cured'. It can however, be successfully controlled. Snoring is caused by a physical abnormality that needs to be identified before a control can be found. This is not as difficult as it seems and the good news is there is a control for everybody, once the cause has been discovered.
Is snoring affecting your life? Do any of the following apply to you or someone you know:
Tired or drowsiness during the day?
Tired or drowsiness during the day?
Have to sleep in a separate room due to your partner snoring?
Difficulty sleeping due to loud snoring?
Irritable when waking in the morning?
Falling asleep easily during the day?
Salcombe Dental Practice can offer a solution to solve snoring problems simply and efficiently, however more severe snoring problems may lead to a condition called sleep apnoea.
SLEEP APNOEA
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is defined as the stopping of airflow during sleep preventing air from entering the lungs caused by an obstruction. These periods of ‘stopping breathing’ only become significantly traumatic if breathing stops for more than 10 seconds each time and occur more than 10 times every hour. OSA only will happen during sleep, as it is a lack of muscle tone in your upper airway that causes the airway to collapse. During the day we have enough muscle tone to keep the airway open allowing for normal breathing. When you experience apnoea during your sleep, your brain will automatically wake you up. This normally occurs with a loud snort or snore and enables you to start breathing again. People with OSA will experience these wakening moments many times during the night and consequently feel very sleepy during the day: they have an airway that is more likely to collapse than normal.
OSA is the commonest form of sleep apnoea, (about 4% of men and 2% of women). People with sleep apnoea may complain of excessive daytime sleepiness often with irritability or restlessness however it is normally the bed partner, family or friends who notice the symptoms first.
Sufferers may experience some of the following:
Extremely loud heavy snoring, often interrupted by pauses and gasps
Excessive daytime sleepiness, e.g., falling asleep at work, whilst driving, during conversation or when watching TV
Forgetfulness
Irritability and short temper
Morning headaches
Decreased interest in sex
Changes in mood or behaviour
Anxiety or depression
Remember, not everyone who has these symptoms will necessarily have sleep apnoea. We possibly all suffer from these symptoms from time to time but people with sleep apnoea demonstrate some or all of these symptoms all the time. There are tests that can be done to diagnose sleep apnoea and create the foundation of the appropriate treatment.
HOW IS SNORING AND SLEEP APNOEA HELPED THROUGH DENTAL TREATMENT?
Through assessing your level of treatment required, your dentist can offer an appliance solution that will help ease the problem and alleviate some of the pain and stress associated with these conditions.
By taking impressions of your teeth, an appliance is made that fits your mouth exactly and used every night to move your jaw into position. By changing the position of your jaws will allow your mouth to function correctly with no obstructions that cause snoring and sleep apnoea.
There are a number of appliances available to help alleviate this problem however your situation and the severity of your condition will be assessed before a solution is provided.
For more information on how Salcombe Dental Practice can solve your snoring and sleep apnoea problems and provide you with a better night’s sleep, simply talk to one of our highly trained team today.
