Jul 01, 2023
Sleep apnea is a concerning health issue that causes you to stop breathing when sleeping repeatedly. Obstructive sleep apnea typically occurs when your airway collapses when asleep, blocking airflow throughout your body.
If someone near you is affected by sleep apnea, it helps to warn them not to leave the condition untreated because it increases the risk of stroke, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and cancer.
People never realize they have sleep apnea until they start experiencing the adverse effects of the condition that makes them irritable, sleepy during the day, experience challenges concentrating on work or paying attention, and dozing off when driving or operating machinery, making them vulnerable to accidents that can prove fatal occasionally.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
Snoring is the most typical sign of sleep apnea. Snoring is disruptive and indicates advanced health issues in the patient affected by the condition. Patients who snore have some form of sleep apnea, inhibiting their body from getting appropriate levels of oxygen and causing them to gasp for air when sleeping to wake up several times while struggling to breathe.
People with sleep apnea will also experience a dry mouth, snoring, challenges focusing, depression, weight gain, headaches or migraines, et cetera. In such cases, patients help themselves by visiting the dentist in Culver City, CA, for sleep apnea care. In addition, the dentist and their team can help coordinate a sleep study to get patients closer to better sleep.
How Do Dentists Treat Sleep Apnea?
There are different treatment solutions for sleep apnea, with the most typical among them being the CPAP device that patients must wear to breathe normally when sleeping. The CPAP machine is invented to increase air coercion in the throat to thwart the airway from collapsing. Unfortunately, the CPAP instrument is not well-tolerated by many because of its bulkiness. As a result, people seek alternative remedies for sleep apnea if diagnosed with mild sleep problems.
Dentists provide the oral appliance therapy they pioneered as a treatment modality for mild sleep apnea. The oral appliance or sleep guard resembles a mouthguard or orthodontic retainer custom-designed to fit comfortably in the patient’s mouth. It helps keep the airway open by preventing it from collapsing.
Besides providing oral appliance therapy, dentists also suggest making lifestyle changes like losing poundage if obese, quitting smoking, getting regular exercise for at least 30 minutes daily, and sleeping on your sides to control the symptoms of snoring, indicating they have sleep apnea.
What Transpires If Sleep Apnea Is Left Untreated?
If sleep apnea is left untreated, by refusing treatment for sleep apnea near you, expect to suffer from various health problems such as heart failure, heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, or strokes to require treatment from different medical professionals instead of dentist 90232. In addition, the health conditions may leave you incapable of working or interacting with friends and family members to become a lifelong companion needing frequent treatments from medical professionals to take a toll on your overall health.
Life Expectancy of People Sleep Apnea
Determining the life expectancy of people with sleep apnea is challenging. Many people never realize they have sleep apnea unless a dentist or physician diagnoses it through a sleep medicine specialist. People with severe sleep apnea under 50 can expect to live between eight to 18 years if they receive treatment with oral appliance therapy or the CPAP machine. People with mild sleep apnea may experience health complications like those described in this article than those who do not receive treatment for the problem.
Many patients can overcome mild sleep apnea using the oral appliance provided by dentists after being diagnosed through a sleep medicine specialist. They can also relieve the problem by choosing healthy lifestyle options like weight loss, exercise, and dieting. Patients can also prefer the CPAP machine, considered the gold standard for sleep apnea because it is reliable for mild to moderate conditions. However, sleep apnea has no cure. Patients must continue using the instrument until they notice an improvement or their physician recommends alternative options like the oral appliance to relieve the problem.
Sleep apnea, a severe health issue, disrupts sleep patterns waking you several times during the night. If you are experiencing the symptoms of sleep apnea, like snoring and daytime sleepiness or irritability, it helps if you seek treatment from Toothopia Dental to relieve the condition unless you want to shorten your lifespan or become vulnerable to various medical conditions that eventually cause fatalities.
FAQs
Many people never realize they have sleep apnea unless a dentist or physician diagnoses it through a sleep medicine specialist. People with severe sleep apnea under 50 can expect to live between eight to 18 years if they receive treatment with oral appliance therapy or the CPAP machine.
What is the mortality rate for sleep apnea? ›
The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that 38,000 people in the United States die each year from heart disease with sleep apnea as a complicating factor. People with sleep apnea have difficulty breathing or stop breathing for short periods while sleeping. This treatable sleep disorder often goes undiagnosed.
What is the long term prognosis of sleep apnea? ›
Over time, sleep apnea can lead to serious or even deadly complications, so early diagnosis and treatment are vital. This condition is often very treatable and there are many treatment options. The most common — and most effective — treatments, especially positive airway pressure devices, are meant for use every night.
How long will it take to reverse damage from sleep apnea? ›
Obstructive sleep apnea treatment
Research (Link is external) (Link opens in new window) shows that treating OSA with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) for just 12 months can almost entirely reverse damage done to white matter.
Will a CPAP machine extend my life? ›
Over the study period, patients who stuck with CPAP treatment reduced their risk of death from heart disease by 36%. And they had a 40% lower risk of death from any cause, his study found.
What is the average age of death from sleep apnea? ›
The median age at death was 66.8 years (range, 42-86 years). All-cause mortality and cause-specific deaths are shown in Table 2. The mortality rate was 1.81%, 2.18%, 3.54%, and 4.20% in no OSA, mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups, respectively.
Can I live a long life with sleep apnea? ›
Severe Sleep Apnea Life Expectancy
Severe sleep apnea shortens life expectancy, in the worse case by as much as 4 times. Individuals with severe sleep apnea from the study reported having strokes and even cancer before they died, proving how much severe sleep apnea can be very destructive to someone's health.
Does sleep apnea get worse with age? ›
In addition, your sleep apnea will change as the risk factors mentioned above change. For example, weight gain or getting older will worsen the condition, as will increased allergies in the spring, which will make nighttime breathing more difficult and exacerbate your symptoms.
Is sleep apnea brain damage permanent? ›
Sleep apnea-related brain damage can be partially or completely reversed in many cases with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, usually with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.
Is sleep apnea a major illness? ›
Obstructive sleep apnea is considered a serious medical condition. Complications can include: Daytime fatigue and sleepiness. Because of a lack of restorative sleep at night, people with obstructive sleep apnea often have severe daytime drowsiness, fatigue and irritability.
These breathing pauses can prevent your body from supplying enough oxygen to the brain. In severe cases this lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage. Signs of this damage include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and moodiness. The new study involved 17 men with severe, untreated sleep apnea.
Has anyone ever cured sleep apnea? ›
While there is no cure for sleep apnea, studies show that certain lifestyle factors can reverse or make your sleep apnea less intense. Other treatment or surgical options can also reverse the condition. Sleep apnea happens when your upper airway muscles relax while you sleep. This causes you to not get enough air.
Will sleep apnea go away if you lose weight? ›
Q: Can weight loss cure sleep apnea? A: The short answer is no. While there are several sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no cure. However, weight loss may help reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people, but only if you have obstructive sleep apnea.
Can you ever get off a CPAP machine? ›
It's certainly not set in stone that everyone must use a CPAP machine forever, but stopping isn't in the cards for everyone. Those who may be able to eventually retire their CPAP typically have modifiable factors contributing to their condition that need to be better managed.
Is sleep apnea a disability? ›
The SSA does not recognize sleep apnea as a disability. Conversely, if your sleep disorder is severe enough, you may meet eligibility standards based on other symptoms that result. To qualify for benefits, you must meet SSD's definition of disabled.
Do I have to use CPAP forever? ›
Most people prescribed CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea will need to use CPAP for the rest of their lives. However, some people who have lost a lot of weight, such as through bariatric surgery, may no longer need CPAP. Other people may no longer need CPAP after having surgery on their upper airway.
What is considered life threatening sleep apnea? ›
Obstructive sleep apnea is classified by severity: Severe obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour) Moderate obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and 30. Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 5 and 15.
Does sleep apnea cause your heart to stop? ›
Sleep apnea is diagnosed when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer — at least five times an hour — during sleep. Researchers suspect sleep apnea causes abnormal heart rhythms, which lead to sudden cardiac death, for a number of reasons.
Has anyone ever got rid of sleep apnea? ›
While there is no cure for sleep apnea, studies show that certain lifestyle factors can reverse or make your sleep apnea less intense. Other treatment or surgical options can also reverse the condition.
What is the success rate of sleep apnea? ›
Oral Appliance Therapy And Night Guards
An astounding 97% of patients found relief, with sleep apnea and snoring problems either significantly reduced or completely eliminated. For 75% of these individuals, sleep apnea diminished by more than half, and a remarkable 58% said goodbye to sleep apnea entirely.
