Many patients visit our office looking for solutions to resolve their snoring. Loud snoring, a symptom often associated with obstructive sleep apnea, can negatively impact a person in many ways. As your trusted dentist in Nixa, MO, Dr. Jacob McLauchlin is happy to provide solutions for any patient who suspects they may be suffering from sleep apnea. Here are some major disadvantages that are often associated with loud snoring:
Disturbing Your Partner
If you have a sleeping partner, roommate, or even extremely thin apartment walls, odds are someone has told you about your loud snoring. Because patients cannot control the volume of their snores, this often leads to interpersonal conflicts. There’s no need to argue or feel embarrassed about your snoring. In fact, we know you would choose not to snore anymore if given the choice. Unfortunately, loud snoring is often associated with sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing. These are growing health concerns that affect millions of patients, many of whom suffer from the effects long before they are properly diagnosed and treated. If someone has recently complained about your snoring, we encourage you to schedule a sleep apnea consultation. This will help give you and your partner the answers you need, and hopefully, help you both achieve a good night’s rest after treatment.
Daytime Fatigue
Not only does your snoring potentially wake up those around you but it also likely wakes you up too. If you find yourself commonly waking up and falling back to sleep over and over again at night, you are likely doing this because of your snoring. Snoring associated with obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a collapse of soft tissues in your mouth which prevents you from breathing. The snoring sound that you hear is literally your body trying to force air through these soft tissues so that you are able to breathe. You may even notice that you wake up with shortness of breath, which can be very jarring. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea often do not achieve a good night’s rest and will feel tired and groggy when waking or throughout the day. While this fatigue is uncomfortable, it is also potentially dangerous, especially if you are driving or operating heavy machinery. Again, this is another good reason to seek treatment for sleep apnea sooner rather than later.
Increased Risk for Health Complications
While loud snoring might seem harmless, it is actually a very serious health concern. Your body’s constant struggle to breathe while you sleep can increase your risk for health problems, sudden heart attack, stroke, and detrimentally impact your quality of life. Dr. Jacob McLauchlin screens patients for common oral signs and risk factors for sleep apnea during routine dental exams. Early and effective treatment can restore health, improve quality of life, and significantly reduce your risk for greater health concerns including heart attack and stroke. If you suspect you are suffering from sleep apnea, please schedule an appointment today. We look forward to helping your restore your oral health and your peace-of-mind.