Breathing is inextricably linked with life; even a short stop negatively affects a person’s well-being. Delays in sleep in the respiratory process of the human body are called apnea.
The word is taken from the ancient Greek and means “calm.” This condition can occur in various situations – for example, after hyperventilation of the lungs or with a sharp increase in blood pressure. Breath holding is caused by attacks of bronchial asthma or whooping cough, as well as some other diseases. But sleep apnea is most common in people.
As a rule, a person with sleep apnea does not know about his condition or considers it normal. Obstructive sleep apnea is when a person stops breathing tens or hundreds of times a night during sleep for more than 10 seconds.
Regular breath holdings do not pass without a trace because the body at this time does not receive the oxygen it needs. The brain suffers the most, but oxygen starvation negatively affects the work of the heart. This disease contributes to the development in the body of such complications as cardiovascular diseases of varying severity, diabetes, obesity, and stroke. In addition, a person suffering from sleep apnea cannot lead an everyday life, as he constantly feels drowsiness, dizziness, and other signs of overwork.
Breathing stops during sleep are found in babies in the first months of life. Most often, apnea is observed in premature newborns since the brain’s respiratory center is still underdeveloped. Its formation ends by about 40-45 weeks, after which the attacks of respiratory arrest stop naturally.
Sleep apnea is much more dangerous in babies born at term, mainly when the disease develops at one year and above. The list of causes here is quite wide and includes pathologies of the development of the respiratory organs and many diseases of the respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.
The lack of oxygen leads to a deterioration in the functioning of the brain, delays in the development of the child, and the most severe cases, death. Therefore, if you find breath holding during sleep, you should take the baby to the doctor.
Starrett City Dental invites everyone to receive qualified assistance from experienced professionals who can help eliminate sleep apnea.
One of the main methods of treating OSAS in Starrett City Dental is therapy done by orthodontists, orthopedists, and maxillofacial surgeons. These are orthodontic and intraoral devices, rational prosthetics, and upper or lower jaw operations.
The dentist can play two roles in dealing with sleep disorders. The first is to recognize the potential presence of a sleep disorder that affects health status – a questionnaire and a more specialized examination of the patient. The patient is advised, and, depending on the situation, he is sent for a more detailed analysis and choice of further therapy.
The second, within the framework of the direct approach, is when the dentist and related specialists can actively influence the expansion of the airways during sleep.
At the same time, one should remember dentists’ preventive role in detecting deviations in the maxillofacial region in children, followed by orthodontic or surgical correction. Early orthodontic intervention in the formation of a child’s bite helps to prevent the occurrence of apnea syndrome in the future.
In treatment, the main thing is to keep the airways free for proper breathing. To do this, restoring the correct physiological bite is first necessary.
The temporomandibular joint – TMJ – allows the lower jaw to move in any plane since the dentition is its only static support. When the positions of the teeth change, their abrasion or loss, the position of the lower jaw in space also changes, and, consequently, the functioning of the entire system is lost.
The doctor needs to find the original, individual, anatomically, and physiologically correct position of the lower jaw and, in accordance with this position, restore the bite. To determine the correct bite of the patient, it is necessary to accurately diagnose the entire dentoalveolar system – to track violations and determine the correct physiological bite.
Special removable or non-removable caps are used to fix and stabilize the correct bite – orthotics, which correctly position the lower jaws. All this allows not only to put the TMJ and lower jaw in an individual correct position but also to improve patients’ quality and life expectancy.
In treating more severe cases of apnea, intraoral caps are additionally used, fixing the lower jaw in a given position, thereby freeing the airways. Also, for such treatment, an apparatus for artificial ventilation of the lungs during sleep with the help of constant positive pressure – CPAP therapy is used. And a completely cardinal surgical method is the removal of nasopharyngeal tissues.
But a lot depends on the patient himself – compliance with sleep hygiene, limiting the use of potent drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, weight loss, and positional therapy. As for medications, there is currently no sufficiently effective pharmacological therapy for OSAS.
Holding your breath during sleep indicates the body is not well, so you must restore health balance first. You should give up bad habits, eliminate excess weight, and create conditions for a normal night’s sleep. Strengthening the tissues of the throat and nasopharynx is facilitated by breathing exercises. However, first of all, you need to consult a doctor and undergo an examination to identify the cause of the disease.
Breathholds are observed in almost all babies born prematurely, especially if this happens before the 37th week of development. The danger is prolonged attacks, during which the baby’s nasolabial triangle and nails turn blue, and wheezing appears. Ordinary breath holdings, lasting less than 10 seconds, should not cause concern to parents.
Sleep apnea treatment is difficult, especially if the disease has already become severe. To normalize the respiratory process, it is necessary to eliminate the causes that led to its violation. To do this, you will need a high-quality medical examination. The doctor will determine the treatment regimen and prescribe the appropriate procedures according to the results.
Wisdom2022-12-15 Gm, Sept. 22nd was my first time at this place, talk about amazing, from the front desk to the X-ray tech, hygienist, dental assist and the dr himself and the billing mgr. everyone was explanatory, patient and let’s not forget the sense of humor from the dr. Just made the whole process of the work I need done so much easier. I never liked going to the dentist that why I’m in the predicament that I’m in now but with a dentist staff and customer service like this I will be taking care of my teeth moving forward., Thank you TheFunhouse 19802022-11-18 The best, Dr. Stella is amazing. Pulok Roy2022-09-02 Got a same day appointment for an urgent dental situation. Was seen within a reasonable amount of wait time. The staff were nice. chesti dalbayob2022-08-18 I didn't even feel like work was done in my mouth; the whole process was painless, even the needle. Thankfully, I was seen right away and didn't even have to wait more than 5 minutes. The dentists and assistants are efficient and hard-working, and this place definitely deserves a 4-star rating
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