Serving patients of Erwin, Jonesborough, and Greeneville, TN
If you suffer from sleep apnea, the consequences can go far beyond just feeling tired on a daily basis. Left untreated, sleep apnea increases your risk of several chronic, systemic health problems, some of which can be life threatening.
The sleep apnea dentists at Tusculum Dental Care are here to help patients in the areas of Greeneville, Jonesborough, and Erwin who think they may be suffering from this ailment or have been diagnosed with the sleep breathing disorder by another medical professional.
Here are answers to common questions about sleep apnea, its diagnosis, and treatment.
What are the risks of sleep apnea?
If you have sleep apnea, failing to seek medical help is the worst decision you can make. This disorder will not go away on its own.
Without receiving diagnosis and treatment from a medical professional, such as your Greeneville sleep apnea dentists at Tusculum Dental Care, you may develop any of the following health issues:
- High blood pressure and/or stroke
- Heart disease
- Memory problems, including cognitive decline
- Obesity
- Headaches of migraine-like intensity
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
Recent medical research studies also have found that sleep apnea patients are 68 percent more likely to develop some form of cancer and, for those sleep apnea patients who do contract cancer, the morbidity rate is five times higher than the normal rate.
Click here to learn more about the risks associated with sleep apnea, and how prolonged sleep loss affects your life.
What causes sleep apnea?
Any case of obstructive sleep apnea develops when breathing becomes restricted. These breathing difficulties often occur due to a collapse of soft tissue in the throat, or due to an obstruction of the airway by the tongue or tonsils. The blockages can be either partial or complete.
Am I at risk of sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect patients of any age—even children. That said, men are more likely to develop the sleep breathing disorder than women, although anyone of any age can develop it. Certain research also has been done suggesting that sleep apnea can be hereditary.
Certain factors can cause an airway issue or increase your risk of developing sleep apnea, such as:
- Being overweight
- Having a large tongue and/or tonsils
- The shape of your head and neck causing a small airway
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Family history
- Frequent use of sedatives and/or alcohol
- Smoking
How does a sleep apnea dentist diagnose sleep apnea?
The specialized training of sleep apnea dentistry allows its practitioners to diagnose and treat the disorder by addressing the root cause—the airway issue. At Tusculum Dental Care, we can conduct a sleep study or an airway evaluation to determine if a case of sleep apnea exists.
How does a sleep apnea dentist treat sleep apnea?
At Tusculum Dental Care, we prefer to use oral appliance therapy to treat sleep apnea patients. The oral appliances we use are made of better materials and customized for the ideal fit and comfort—making them an upgrade over the anti-snoring mouthpieces you might have seen available for purchase over the counter. Click here for more information on how we treat sleep apnea.
You can trust the sleep apnea dentists at Tusculum Dental Care to provide the relief you need and help you get the rest you deserve. Call us at (423) 639-7575 to schedule a consultation.
Tusculum Dental Care serves patients in the areas of Greeneville, Jonesborough, and Erwin, Tennessee.