Steps to Take to Treat Sleep Apnea

At Brodsky Orthodontics, we not only provide quality orthodontic care, but we assist in treating sleep apnea, a common, but a threat to health all the same. Perhaps you have noticed that you or someone close to you experiences the following:

• Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
• Loud snoring at night
• Waking with short breath
• Snorting or choking sounds during the night
• Headaches upon waking in the morning
• Unintentionally falling asleep during the day
• Extreme drowsiness throughout the day

All of the listed symptoms are indications of sleep apnea and can lead to heart disorders, neuromuscular disorders, strokes, or brain tumors. Additionally, the fatigue experienced from sleep apnea can interfere with day to day tasks or work. Now, how can sleep apnea be treated?

The first step that you should take is a consultation. You can set up a complimentary consultation with our office if you are curious in addressing any symptoms that are linked to sleep apnea.

During the appointment in our office, we use a 3-D iCAT scan of your airway to determine what is the problem. Once the problem is figured out, we can take further actions. This can involve an oral device that our staff can custom-create for you or we can refer you to a sleep apnea specialist. Depending on the extent of the sleep apnea, the specialist may recommend a “sleep study” to learn more about your particular case.

Here comes the hard part: sleep apnea may also be dependent on your behavior, which will have to change if you wish to see any changes in your health. Since obesity is linked to sleep apnea, it may be worth looking into planning out your nutrition and physical activity to lose weight.

What you can do on your own in regards to diet are some relatively straightforward changes to your diet. The first thing you want to do is to cut out beverages with sugar. Sodas and fruit juices have high sugar content which leads to putting on weight. Water has no sugar and having a cold glass of water first thing in the morning stimulates your metabolism. If you drink coffee but do not like to drink it black, consider cinnamon as a substitute for cream and sugar.

The second nutritional practice you can adopt is to limit the amount of eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By doing this, you do not overeat and gain excess weight. If you have trouble waiting to eat in between meals, snack only on healthy foods like carrots or almonds. Both of these alternatives are high in fiber which curbs appetites.

Thirdly, keep track of what is in your meals. If you can determine which foods make you feel energized and awake and which foods make you feel sluggish, then you can form a diet plan with a nutritionist.

If you want to learn more about how to deal with sleep apnea, contact Brodsky Orthodontics to set up a consultation.