Best Sleep Apnea Kalispell

What Nobody Tells You About Sleep Apnea
There are few couples who manage to meet the 10-year mark without accusing each other of being a "snorer." In our practice, we've seen every variation of the argument - from the cutesy arguments about how "you're cute when you do it" to the deeply-entrenched resentment that follows years of poor snooze-time.
The jokes definitely manage to get something right: this is an incredibly common problem. It's estimated that up to 1 in 5 Americans suffer from it. As much as it seems to be little more than a nuisance for middle-aged couples, there is much more to sleep apnea than annoying snoring.
Here are four facts about sleep apnea that are not a joke!
Sleep apnea is not the same as snoring
Sleep apnea is actually a potentially serious sleep disorder that arises when something interrupts your breathing while you're sleeping.
If this is caused by an obstruction in your throat or nasal passageways (most often because the throat muscles relax too much), then it's known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If, on the other hand, it's caused by your brain not sending the signal to keep breathing, it's known as central sleep apnea.
The ever-so-popular snoring is actually merely a common symptom of OSA. Not all snoring automatically means apnea: if mild and occasional, it's likely the blame falls on your pillow or from falling asleep in an odd position. More importantly, not all sleep apnea sufferers snore: many find themselves waking up repeatedly and gasping for air in the middle of the night.
Sleep apnea could be a wake-up call in more ways than one
If there is something the stereotype gets right, it's the link between sleep apnea and middle-aged, pot-bellied bodies. There is something of an ongoing controversy in the medical community in this regard: many sleep experts can't seem to agree whether the problem is caused (or worsened) by being overweight or even pre-diabetic, or if it's the resulting constant fatigue that instigates poor eating choices.
This may be a bit of a "chicken and egg" question, but at this point, everyone agrees the link is there. There are myriad risk factors for sleep apnea, and many have a lot to do with our lifestyle: smoking, use of alcohol, and pre-diabetes can all keep you from breathing properly while sleeping.
It can cost lives
The reason why sleep disorders are such a big public health priority lately is that they affect every aspect of life. By sleep apnea Kalispell , they are likely to make your days progressively more miserable: from poor moods to hard-to-control cravings to impaired decision-making.
It is never our intention to sound overly dramatic, but sleep apnea may be costing us thousands of lives per year. Even in very severe cases, you will most likely not choke to death as you sleep. What is more likely to happen is that sleep-deprived you will miss a red light or even simply make a costly mistake at work.
A massive review study published in 2016 showed that workers with sleep apnea are twice as likely to suffer from workplace accidents. The costs attached to these incidents rank in the millions, which is why insurance companies are taking notice.
Sleep apnea is often detected by dentists
This is the part where I'm often reminded that, as a dentist, I won't have to deal with the broken bones and intensive diet programs that sleep apnea patients need to fix.
Dentists, however, are often at the front lines when diagnosing this condition, especially among the non-snoring OAS patients. They are very likely to develop bruxism - compulsive teeth grinding while sleeping. If your molars begin looking flattened, dentists are the first ones who will notice it during your next deep cleaning.
Insurance companies will require a medical doctor to make the official diagnosis, so more often than not you'll just walk away with a referral to a sleep clinic and a newfound reason for all those unexplained headaches you have been having.
It all starts with baby steps. Whether it turns out to be sleep apnea or not, we'll be waiting for you with a nice appliance on your next visit - after you take a nap, of course.