5 Ways to Prevent Sleep Apnea Complications

Sleep apnea does more than make you feel exhausted and irritable throughout the day. In fact, the condition causes weight gain and dangerous complications like high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and type 2 diabetes.

If you need help with sleep apnea, turn to our team at Hudgens Dental. We specialize in one of the treatments for sleep apnea, including customized mouthguards to support your nighttime breathing without wearing an annoying mask.

Here, we explain sleep apnea and recommend five tips to prevent complications.

About sleep apnea

Sleep apnea develops when you briefly stop breathing while sleeping. It occurs when the soft tissues and muscles in your mouth and throat relax, fall toward the back of your throat, and partially or entirely cover the airway.

Snoring begins when the tissues vibrate as air flows by. Your snoring worsens as more of the airway is covered. When it’s completely blocked, you stop breathing.

Your brain makes sure you start breathing again. However, you don’t fully wake up, so you’re unaware of the problem.

Signs you have sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring
• Difficulty waking
• Morning headaches
• Excessive daytime tiredness
• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• Depression
• Irritability

Complications develop because the drop in oxygen causes significant stress. Over time, untreated sleep apnea raises your heart rate and blood pressure and triggers inflammation that leads to chronic diseases.

Five tips to prevent sleep apnea complications

You can lower your risk of complications by following these five tips:

1. Lose weight

Losing weight (if needed) is one of the most crucial steps to improve sleep apnea. When you’re overweight, fat builds up in your neck and in the tissues surrounding the upper airway, which narrows the passageway.

Excess fat in your abdomen also has an impact. Its weight pushes against your chest, making it difficult for your lungs to take in air. As a result, the pressure in your airway changes, increasing the risk of soft tissues collapsing over the airway.

2. Sleep on your side

The position in which you sleep can improve or worsen sleep apnea because it affects the shape and position of the tissues around the airway. Sleeping on your side lowers the risk of tissues falling into the airway. By comparison, sleeping on your back may cause or worsen sleep apnea.

3. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol relaxes the tissues in your throat and increases the risk of sleep apnea.

Drinking alcohol also slows the brain’s response during an apnea episode and increases the number of times you stop breathing.

4. Quit smoking

The Mayo Clinic reports that people who smoke are three times more likely to develop sleep apnea. Smoking increases the risk because it causes inflammation and fluid retention in your upper airway, interfering with airflow.

5. Wear a mouthguard

Treating sleep apnea is the only way to prevent complications. One of the most effective options is to use a customized mouthguard.

The mouthguard moves your jaw forward and holds it in that position while you sleep, preventing the tongue and tissues from covering the airway. You can breathe normally, stop sleep apnea, and avoid health complications.

Are you ready to improve your sleep and regain energy during the day? Call Hudgens Dental today or book a sleep apnea consultation online to learn more and get personalized treatment.