Sleep Apnea - Mansfield, TX

What is Sleep Apnea?

You wake up every morning, and despite how much you’ve slept, you always feel like you never went to bed in the first place. Your mind is filled with fog, and you’ve even caught yourself almost dozing off behind the wheel. If any of this sounds familiar, then you may be suffering from sleep apnea, the second most common sleep disorder in the world. At Mansfield Snore & Sleep Solutions, Dr. Sandi Hamm and her team can help patients overcome sleep apnea using specially-made oral appliances, but before the solution is discussed, it’s best to fully understand the problem first.

Why Choose Mansfield Snore & Sleep Solutions for Sleep Apnea Treatment

Dr. Hamm is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
Able to treat mild to moderate sleep apnea with custom-made oral appliances
Take-home sleep test available

Sleep Apnea 101

Animation of airway obstruction

Sleep apnea is a condition where a person frequently stops breathing for short periods of time while they sleep. For most, this occurs because the soft tissues in the mouth and throat have relaxed into and blocked the airway. This is specifically called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and it can have far reaching effects for both a person’s health and quality of life.

When breathing suddenly stops, the body goes into emergency mode and partially wakes up in order to restore proper oxygen flow. This constantly disrupts the sleep cycle, preventing someone from getting the deep, restful sleep they need to feel awake and energized the next day.

These breathing cessations also put a tremendous amount of strain on the cardiovascular system, forcing the heart to work harder to move oxygenated blood throughout the body. As a result, blood pressure skyrockets, and this can last for several hours afterward even when normal breathing has been restored, making a person more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.

The Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Man with animation of airway on profile

While sleep apnea is slightly different for every patient, there are a few common symptoms you should look out for:

Chronic daytime fatigue
Morning headaches and sore throat
Waking up gasping for air or feeling out of breath
Problems focusing
Memory issues
Mood swings/depression
Trouble with weight gain/losing weight
Sexual dysfunction/Erectile dysfunction

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

Frustrated man with head in hands

Sleep apnea can be brought on by a wide array of factors, including:

Being overweight or obese
Having a large neck, tongue, or tonsils that restrict the airway
Falling asleep while using a sedative (such as alcohol)
Having a nasal blockage due to allergies or a deviated septum
Smoking, as this can cause the airway to become inflamed and narrow

How We Can Help

Airway animation

Sleep apnea is a very treatable condition, and patients can get the rest they need and avoid all of these bad side effects with the right care. However, in order to get any kind of sleep apnea treatment, a person first needs an official diagnosis.

Traditionally, this would involve a patient undergoing a diagnostic sleep test in a lab, but thankfully, we can help patients do this in their own home using an at-home portable sleep study device. Then a sleep doctor will look over the results and make a diagnosis.

If a patient does indeed have sleep apnea, we can provide a treatment called oral appliance therapy, which you can learn more about on our oral appliance therapy page.

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Man placing oral appliance

If you’re tired of feeling tired, Mansfield Snore & Sleep Solutions is ready to provide the answers you need. To get started, you can either take our short sleep quiz that will let us know if you are at risk for sleep apnea, or you can go ahead and schedule a FREE consultation with Dr. Hamm. Either way, contacting us will be the first step in helping you get the rest you deserve.

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