Like many, you may think sleep apnea is just a minor annoyance. Its various symptoms – snoring, fatigue, irritability, etc. – are things you can tolerate in your normal day-to-day. You’d be wrong to see it that way, though; the condition actually harms your life expectancy. Research even shows that treating sleep apnea helps you live longer, enhancing your daily experiences. For proof, read on to learn about this sleep-related ailment, its effect on life expectancy, and how dentists treat it.
Remind Me: What’s Sleep Apnea?
To understand its impact on life expectancy, you’ll first need to grasp what sleep apnea is. Why it leads to a shorter life won’t make sense otherwise.
Sleep apnea is an ailment that makes you stop and start breathing while asleep. Often, it occurs when something blocks your airway such that air can’t move through your throat. This blockage can force you to wake up briefly to resume breathing, preventing quality sleep.
Naturally, sleep apnea has immediate (and unpleasant) signs. These include daytime sleepiness, irritability, headaches, and more.
How Does It Impact Life Expectancy?
Beyond disrupting sleep, sleep apnea has a much more worrying effect. It tends to reduce the life expectancy of its sufferers.
The issue is that sleep apnea usually leads to long-term health problems. Indeed, research shows that people with it face a far higher risk of high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, etc. Such conditions are often life-threatening and can easily shorten a person’s lifespan. Given time, they can quickly cause you to suffer an early death.
Untreated sleep apnea doesn’t directly shorten life expectancy. However, you’ll want to address it to prevent the problems listed above.
How Can a Dentist Treat Sleep Apnea?
If there’s any good news here, it’s that many dentists can treat sleep apnea. Their resources and knowledge will help you have restful nights again.
Rather than use CPAPs, dentists typically treat sleep apnea with oral appliances. These latter devices keep a patient’s airway open by slightly repositioning their jaw. In doing so, it allows for much easier breathing and reduces sleep apnea symptoms. The effect is also pronounced, as each appliance is customized for its particular patient.
Since treating sleep apnea helps you live longer, don’t delay treatment. Getting it will lead to peaceful rest and more happy years!
About the Practice
Advanced Dental Treatment Center is based in Greenfield, WI. Led by Drs. Carini, Farr, and Wagner, our practice prizes every smile that comes to see us. We thus offer dentistry tailored to your needs, with procedures ranging from dental checkups and periodontal therapy to sleep apnea treatment. Our team is ready to address your grin’s every issue, so please rest assured! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (414)-209-7463.