It’s estimated that sleep apnea affects around 39 million adults in the United States. If you’re part of this group, you need to make sure that your sleep disorder is properly dealt with in a timely manner; otherwise, it could end up shaving years off of your lifespan. Your dentist is here to give you a better understanding of how sleep apnea can reduce your life expectancy and explain what steps you can take to have it diagnosed and treated.
What Happens When You Have Sleep Apnea?
When you have sleep apnea, your breathing repeatedly stops and restarts multiple times during your slumber. Each pause disrupts the sleep cycle because your brain is forced to briefly wake your body up in an effort to get some oxygen.
Most of the time, sleep apnea is caused by tissue in your mouth or throat physically blocking the airway. The frequency of the interruptions can vary depending on how severe the disorder is; in the most severe cases, they can occur more than 30 times an hour.
How Can Sleep Apnea Shorten Life Expectancy?
Sleep apnea may seem like just an annoyance at first, as oftentimes its most obvious symptoms are loud snoring and excessive tiredness. However, the frightening truth is that there are various ways that sleep apnea can shorten your lifespan:
- Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can increase your risk for heart attacks and other life-threatening cardiovascular problems.
- Being constantly tired during the day can potentially make accidents more likely to occur while you’re driving or working with heavy machinery.
- The effects of sleep apnea can speed up biological aging, which can lead to a reduced life expectancy.
What Can You Do About Sleep Apnea?
If you don’t want sleep apnea to shorten your life, then it’s important to have it diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for symptoms associated with sleep apnea such as snoring, fatigue, concentration problems, and depression. If you have reason to think that you are suffering from sleep-disordered breathing, you should talk to a doctor about undergoing a sleep test; the results of said test can help confirm whether or not sleep apnea is present.
Once you know for sure that you have sleep apnea, you can start pursuing treatment. In many cases, you can reduce sleep apnea symptoms simply by wearing a customized oral appliance provided by your dentist. The device will adjust the position of your jaw so that your airway stays unblocked, thus resulting in fewer breathing interruptions.
In summary, sleep apnea could potentially put your life at risk. However, if you’re quick to react to the warning signs and seek the right sort of treatment, you can avoid the worst of the disorder and protect your overall health.
About the Author
Dr. Ray Voller has more than 40 years of dental experience, and he has completed all seven levels of continuing education offered by the Pankey Institute. He is able to help patients with sleep apnea improve the quality of their slumber with fully personalized oral appliances. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Voller at Voller Dentistry in Kittanning, visit his website or call (724) 543-4948.