The Impact of Snoring on your Life – Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Encino, Tarzana, Chatsworth, Calabasas, Studio City, Sherman Oaks

Snoring is much more than a nuisance. For partners, it can sometimes make the person who doesn’t snore hard-pressed to get a good night’s sleep. Snoring is caused by problems with respiration but, for some reason, we tend not to take this as seriously as is merited when the affected individual is sleeping. If an individual who was awake couldn’t breathe without the loud snorting characteristic of those who snore, it would most certainly be taken as a sign of a serious problem, which is oftentimes exactly the case with snoring.

Snoring is oftentimes a feature of sleep apnea. Both conditions can be related to an excess of tissue, or an irregular structure, at the back of the throat. When this causes sleep apnea, it is called obstructive sleep apnea. It can lead to very serious conditions, including several diseases which are life-threatening and, among them, some of the most common killers in the world. Heart disease, high-blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke are all associated with sleep apnea. Snoring, however, is usually the first symptom that’s noticed.

If you have sleep apnea, your partner likely lays awake quite a lot at night, listening to your breathing. You may even wake yourself on occasion, though this may be the result of the sound of the snoring or of your airway becoming completely obstructed for a time. If your partner is awake when your airway is obstructed, they’ll likely notice that you stop breathing for a few seconds. In some cases, this interruption in breathing can go on for a genuinely disturbing amount of time; as long as two minutes, in some cases. This is a very serious condition. Treating your sleep apnea will likely also offer relief from your snoring.

If your snoring is out of hand but you don’t have sleep apnea, you may try sleeping on your side. If you wake your partner up a lot, you likely get rolled on your side quite a lot while you’re sleeping. This helps to relieve pressure on the airway that can lead to snoring. You may also be able to get a dental appliance made that can help with snoring. These appliances are sometimes effective treatments for apnea, as well, usually in the mild to moderate incidences of the disorder. They are prescribed by a physician.

To combat the obstruction of your airway by the soft tissues in your throat, your dentist will construct a device that maintains their proper alignment. One type keeps the tongue forward in the mouth, which prevents it from falling back into the airway when your body relaxes. The other pulls your entire mandible a bit forward, which has the same effect as does the tongue retainer. Either option can significantly reduce snoring and, if a doctor recommends as much, may prove to be the most convenient treatment for sleep apnea. If you or a loved one suffers this disorder, or you suspect as much, contact a doctor.

To learn more about Sleep Apnea treatments and to find out if they are right for you, contact Smile Studio LA at 818-788-1352 today for a free consultation!