Did you know that about 50 to 70 million American adults suffer from a wakefulness disorder? These disorders, unfortunately, often go disregarded by Americans, with many believing that the worst results of sleep apnea disorders is a lack of a good night?s sleep. This can?t be further from the truth: sleep apnea is a serious problem that can even lead to life-threatening consequences. Luckily, there are sleep apnea treatments available for sufferers of the disorder.
Sleep Apnea Causes And Effects
The causes behind sleep apnea are varied, with some cases having no obvious causes. In some cases, it has to do with heart conditions, obesity, or simply a genetic condition. The effects are what is truly disturbing. Sufferers are six times more likely to die in car accidents due to their lack of sleep ? that?s a bigger problem than simple tiredness. They can also expect to be diagnosed with hypertension, which comes with another unexpected side effect. If undiagnosed, this condition can lead to the average middle-aged sufferers to pay a collective $3.4 billion in the United States alone. Finally, the fact is that people should be able to fall asleep without experiencing an average of 60 apneas per hour. Resting should not be considered a luxury, and the heart conditions associated with this disorder alone should be enough to make people consider treatment.
Common Sleep Apnea Treatments
It?s true that many sleep apnea sufferers use masks and machines to get through the night without waking. If prescribed by a doctor, these should be used. However, they?re not for everyone for several reasons: for one, they may not be right for certain types of sleep apnea, depending on the severity involved. For another, they can be very expensive and difficult to travel with, and don?t always treat all of the symptoms involved. Surprisingly, one of the possible solutions for certain types of sleep apnea is more dental in nature.
A Mouthpiece For Sleep Apnea: What Is It?
One of the sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA ? it often comes along with heavy snoring. The treatment for OSA can be as simple as a mouthpiece, with over 100 oral appliances being FDA approved for this specific condition. One of the major appliances used for OSA is a mandibular repositioning device, or MRD. A MRD causes mandibular advancement, increasing upper airway capacity by 50 to 70% with maximum mandibular protrusion. Hopefully, this increased airway capacity will not only alleviate OSA, but downplay the snoring that goes along with it. This appliance is also, potentially, less intrusive than typical sleep apnea machines.
No matter how you choose to treat your sleep disorder, know that you do need to treat it for the sake of your health. You?ll feel much better once you do!