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What Are The Common Causes Of Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disease that is marked by lapses in breathing. A patient’s breathing can pause and restart several times in their sleep if they suffer from this condition. It could lead to breathing difficulties and a lack of supply of oxygen to the body. If you snore excessively and suffer from tiredness the whole day, you might sleep apnea. If left untreated it can lead to significant health conditions and result in deteriorating heart conditions. 

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is essentially a sleeping disorder that results in interrupted breathing in the patient. There are three types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Complex Sleep Apnea, and Central Sleep Apnea. If it is not detected in time, it can cause high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, and even heart failure.

How is it related to Your Oral Health?

Sleep Apnea is extensively linked to your health. You could be breathing from your mouth because of sleep apnea and it could result in missing teeth, tooth decay, dry mouth, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. It could also lead to teeth grinding, TMJ issues, and multiple oral health complications as well. Hence, do not be astonished if the dentist inquires about your sleep. You could be suffering from a type of sleep apnea. 

Common Causes of Sleep Apnea

Nose Blockage

Obstruction of the nasal passages can lead to a lapse in breathing and also sleep apnea. In such cases, a person cannot breathe with ease and is likely to suffer from the obstructive variant of the disease.

Obesity

Obese people are more likely to suffer from this sleeping disorder. An increase in one’s weight can result in narrowing one’s airway, thereby causing chronic snoring and breathlessness. 

Tobacco Consumption

Heavy smokers are more susceptible to suffering from sleep apnea than non-smokers. The tobacco particles can lead to swelling of the upper airways. This might lead to congested apneas. 

Usage of Sedatives

 Sedatives have been known to cause expansion of muscles further stimulating airway obstruction and leading to long pauses in breathing. Excessive ingestion of sedatives is more likely to cause OSA. 

Hormonal Inconsistencies

Hormonal issues such as hypothyroidism or acromegaly can lead to inflammation of tissues and might also increase the risk of obesity. Oftentimes these result in sleep apnea causing the patient a lot of discomfort and drowsiness.

If you live in Phoenix, AZ, and want custom-made appliances to treat your sleep apnea, then visit us at Singh Smile Care and opt for our services at your convenience without any hesitation.

Tags: sleep apnea