Are you constantly waking your partner up at night with your loud snoring? If so, you and your partner are probably wondering, “is there a treatment for snoring?” Sometimes, finding a cure for your snoring can be as easy as changing your sleep position or opening your nasal passages. However, sometimes loud persistent snoring can be a sign of a sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is caused from a blockage in your airway limiting the amount of oxygen your body is receiving, typically resulting in abrupt awakenings in order to catch your breath.
How Do You Know You Have Sleep Apnea?
If you believe you may have a sleep disorder, consult with your dentist to see if they would recommend you undergo a sleep study. Sleep studies are conducted through the night while you’re asleep to monitor the oxygen levels throughout your body.
What Are The Treatments?
As with most conditions, there are different levels of severity when it comes to sleep disorders. For example, a mild sleep apnea condition may be cured by some simple lifestyle changes. Whereas, a severe condition may need oral surgery in order to open up your airway.
In many cases, patients can use a machine known as a CPAP machine while they sleep in order to help them consistently breathe. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine uses pressure to keep your airway open in order to take in the oxygen the machine is giving out.
In other cases, patients have seen success using an oral appliance that keeps the tongue and lower jaw forward in order to prevent airway blockage.
