How Snoring Affects the People Around You
Snoring happens when the soft tissue in your upper airway vibrates during sleep. Your snoring can take a heavy toll on the people around you, often resulting in chronic sleeplessness for your spouse or sleep partner. This can adversely affect a person’s mood, cognitive abilities, and overall health. Common side effects for people who sleep with a heavy snorer include irritability, a weakened immune system, and high blood pressure.
If your snoring is a result of sleep apnea, this can mean additional health risks for you as well including mood disorders, diabetes, and potentially even Alzheimer’s disease.
Snore Guards: Affordable, Comfortable, Convenient
At Desert Hills Dental Care, we offer high-quality snore guards to treat your snoring. Snore guards (mouth guards) are small oral appliances that you wear during sleep. They work by gently shifting the position of your lower jaw to open your airway.
Dr. Schumacher recommends our custom-designed snore guards, as store-bought ones will not be as effective in treating your snoring. After a comprehensive examination, we’ll take an impression of your bite to ensure a comfortable fit.
A snore guard from Dr. Schumacher is custom-designed to treat your snoring. Also known as an oral appliance, a snore guard is a small device that you wear while you sleep. It opens up the airway by gently shifting the position of your lower jaw.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Heavy snoring is a major symptom of sleep apnea, but millions of people who snore don’t suffer from sleep apnea. Dr. Schumacher can arrange a sleep study to determine if your snoring is in fact a sign of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition where your breathing stops temporarily in your sleep throughout the night. This lapse in breathing forces your brain to wake you up, gasping for air. Untreated sleep apnea can affect not only the quality of your sleep but also put you at risk for significant health risks.
Luckily, at Desert Hills Dental Care, we also offer treatments for sleep apnea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are snoring and sleep apnea related?
While snoring is one of the most common and noticeable symptoms of sleep apnea, not everyone who snores suffers from the disorder. If you snore frequently, we recommend getting a sleep test to diagnose sleep apnea.
Even if you don’t have sleep apnea, Dr. Schumacher can help treat your snoring with a convenient oral appliance. Snoring can affect your relationship with your partner, so it’s crucial for everyone involved to relieve your symptoms.
Can snoring be stopped?
Yes! We’ve helped many patients eliminate snoring with the help of treatment. Our convenient oral appliances move your jaw forward while you sleep to open your airway, so you can rest peacefully and silently. Dr. Schumacher may also recommend some lifestyle changes that can help reduce your snoring. Some of these include losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption, stopping the use of sedatives before bed, and quitting smoking.
How effective are the different treatments for sleep apnea?
The effectiveness of treatments for sleep apnea can vary depending on the severity of the condition and individual factors. It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the most suitable treatment option based on individual circumstances.
Do over-the-counter snoring remedies provide effective and comfortable solutions?
Over-the-counter snoring remedies can offer effective and comfortable solutions for some individuals. These remedies often include nasal sprays, throat sprays, or nasal strips that help open up the airways and reduce snoring. However, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure these remedies are appropriate for your specific condition.
Treatment That Works
If it turns out that your heavy snoring is unrelated to sleep apnea, we can still treat your snoring with a convenient oral appliance that won’t interfere with your lifestyle. Call (505) 427-2936 today to arrange your consultation with Dr. Schumacher. Or, simply fill out the submission form and we’ll get right back to you.