Serving patients of Erwin, Jonesborough, and Greeneville TN
A headache can ruin your day. If you suffer from chronic headaches, this can make it difficult to focus on a daily basis – much less concentrate at work or school. Headaches can stem from a variety of factors: stress, dehydration, smoking and even poor posture, just to name a few possible culprits. Today on the blog, your sleep apnea dentists in Greeneville at Tusculum Dental Care explore another potential cause … sleep apnea.
Get the facts on obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious and well-known sleep breathing disorder. Someone with sleep apnea experiences blockages in the airway when they lay down to rest. These blockages could impede the flow of air, or completely disrupt breathing. Whether the blockage is partial or complete, eventually, oxygen levels decrease to the point that the brain sends alarm signals to the body to resume normal breathing. Each time one of these events occur, you are highly unlikely to consciously wake up, but the sleep cycle is disrupted. This means spending less time in the deepest stages of sleep, which are crucial to restoring both the mind and body.
The link between sleep apnea and headaches
The oxygen deprivation that occurs during an apneic event can cause headaches. Someone with sleep apnea usually experiences multiple airway blockages, known as apneic events, each night. This means oxygen levels drop during each event, increasing the risk of oxygen deprivation and, with it, the likelihood of a severe painful headache, especially when waking up the next morning. For someone with untreated sleep apnea, these apneic events could be happening hundreds of times per night! That type of extended oxygen deprivation can have a host of negative consequences: hindering brain function, memory problems and even cognitive decline.
In summary, if you are frequently experiencing painful headaches, particularly if they are happening first thing in the morning, you should consider being screened for sleep apnea.
How your dentist treats sleep apnea
Only a sleep specialist can make an official diagnosis of sleep apnea. However, the dentists at Tusculum Dental Care are trained in airway management. That means they can perform a quick examination and, if they identify potential signs of a sleep breathing disorder such as sleep apnea, refer you to a sleep specialist. Once a diagnosis is made, you can return to our dental practice, where we can treat your sleep apnea in Greeneville. We usually can achieve results through oral appliance therapy: wearing a mouthpiece that is customized for your specific mouth, guides your lower jaw forward and prevents the airway blockages that cause an apneic event.
Sleep apnea dentistry in Greeneville, Jonesborough and Erwin in Tennessee
If you have been living with painful headaches for quite some time, aren’t you ready to find lasting relief for your problem? Schedule an appointment today at Tusculum Dental Care for an airway examination, which can determine if sleep apnea may be causing your headaches. Contact our office in Greeneville today by calling (423) 639-7575 or complete our convenient online appointment request form.