Your snoring doesn’t just affect the sleep of those around you, it can put you at a potential risk of sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea can, in turn, negatively affect your waking life as you feel tired. However, at Kooringal Dental we offer a simple solution to snoring-based problems in order to help you reach a state of peaceful sleep so that you may reap all the benefits that come with allowing your body to properly rest. So if you’re having snoring issues, come and talk to your local dentist in Wagga Wagga.
Why do I snore?
A number of factors can be attributed to snoring and whether it is a light rustle or people have complaints that you sound like a tractor at night, will depend on whether or not you need medical assistance in stopping it, but if your case of the night time growls is severe the dentist at Wagga Wagga will first try to determine why it is happening in the first place:
Your throat anatomy – people with enlarged tonsils or adenoids can suffer from snoring and in this case, a simple surgery to remove them may be the solution, we will be able to refer you to an ENT if this is the case.
Alcohol and medication use – do you indulge in a regular nightcap? Alcohol is known to be quite a strong muscle relaxant and will cause the body and throat to relax while you sleep which will result in snoring. Likewise, using medical muscle relaxants before bed for whatever reason will have the same result. Changing these habits may easily clear up your snoring issue.
Sleep style – if a partner has ever poked you in the ribs while you’ve been sleeping on your back and told you to roll over and the snoring stops when you do change positions, you may have a case of side dependant snoring and with a little practice, you can stop sleeping on your back which may clear up your snoring.
Age – as we get older, our tongue and throat muscles don’t have the strength they once had in our younger years and they relax far more than they used to while you sleep which causes snoring.
Weight – people who are overweight may snore more as the pressure of the excess fatty tissue around their throats causes the airway to become more narrow and vibrate when asleep. It is often (but not exclusively) found that people with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea have weight issues and sometimes this issue may be cleared up with healthy weight loss.
What is OSA?
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is when your breathing continually stops and starts during sleep, it can be quite dangerous and while you feel you may be sleeping throughout the night, you are in fact starving your brain of much-needed oxygen which will result in feelings of lethargy throughout the day.
What is the solution?
Just as there are many causes for snoring and sleep apnoea, there are many solutions; your dentist in Wagga Wagga can create a custom made oral device for you to wear at night which will help keep your airways open to avoid sorting and sleep apnoea, however, in some cases, patients may need a CPAP mask to wear at night which regulated the air pressure going into the throat in order to keep the airways open.
Disclaimer: All treatments carry risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion to ensure that this treatment is right for you.
