Did you wake up feeling exhausted? Have you ever fallen asleep during a meeting, watching TV, or at a stop light? Has anyone told you that you snore really loudly during sleep?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you may have a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA causes people to stop breathing during sleep because the soft tissues of the mouth and throat collapse and block the airway. The brain becomes deprived of oxygen and briefly wakens the sleeper to get them breathing again. This can happen a few times a night or for some patients, hundreds of times.

This disorder places a great deal of stress on the cardiovascular system as the body tries to fight the oxygen deprivation that is occurring. Heart rates and blood pressure rise and can cause a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

About 2/3 of people who have obstructive sleep apnea have not been diagnosed. Of those that have a diagnosis over half are not treating their disease because they cannot tolerate sleeping with a CPAP machine which is the first line of therapy typically given to patients.

You can successfully treat your sleep apnea without CPAP. Oral appliance therapy from a dentist who is specially trained in dental sleep medicine can allow you to sleep and breathe all night long. You will wake feeling refreshed, have higher energy levels throughout the day and your bed partner will not have to listen to snoring and gasping all night long.

Please contact Dr. Mark Levy at StoneRidge Dental Care serving the Columbus, OH area today at 614-476-6696 to see if you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy.