What is Sleep Apnea in Adults?
Enlarged tonsils, obesity and other factors can contribute to sleep apnea in adults and have serious health consequences.
Do you find it hard to get through the day without a nap, even though you went to bed on time the night before? Maybe you've noticed your mood shift to depression or irritability, with no explanation.
These symptoms may point to something more serious than growing older or "the blues". If you've been told that you snore loudly or suffer from daytime fatigue, you may be experiencing sleep apnea and airway issues.
Obstructive sleep apnea can cause sufferers to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more while sleeping, forcing the brain to wake them up to breathe and disrupting deep sleep.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical issue that can severely impact your physical, mental and emotional health, now and in the future. Enlarged tonsils, blocked airways or other airway issues can cause the condition. We may be able to help adults showing signs of sleep apnea issues with non-surgical airway orthodontics treatment.
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If you have sleep apnea, you may have airway and breathing issues. We can assess your symptoms and determine whether airway-focused orthodontics can help.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Adults
If you are suffering from sleep apnea or airway constriction and breathing-related issues, you may experience many symptoms such as:
- Headaches in the morning
- Irritability, depression or other mood changes
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Breathing pauses during sleep
- Choking or drooling
- Obesity or high blood pressure
- Loud snoring
- Teeth clenching or grinding
- Chronic mouthbreathing
- Decreased libido
- Challenges concentrating during the day
- Restlessness in bed
- Mistakes or slips in work performance
- Sleepiness or sluggishness during the day
- Unusual events while sleeping (sleepwalking, night terrors)
Airway Orthodontics Treatment for Adults
Adults (and those close to them) who experience sleep apnea and airway issues often notice symptoms that may be concerning.
Our orthodontic team at My ORTHODONTIST takes a non-invasive, client-first approach to orthodontics. We develop a customized orthodontic treatment plan for you with a focus on breathing and airway health, aiming to avoid extractions and invasive surgery when possible.
We can perform a myofunctional orthodontic exam to look for blockages or constrictions, including tonsils that are abnormally sized or positioned. A sleep study may be done and X-ray images taken. We might be able to treat sleep apnea and airway issues with Invisalign or other orthodontic treatment options to address the current condition and prevent health issues that may turn serious in the future.