Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea are similar respiratory sleep disorders.
The noise of Snoring is a result of the air that you breathe vibrating the tissues of your airway due to a blockage or narrowing of the airways of the nose or throat.
Snoring could be an indicator of something more serious called “Obstructive Sleep Apnea”. “OSA” occurs when regular breathing stops or is slowed for 10 seconds or longer due to a narrowed or blocked airway.
The blockage of the airway may be caused by excessive tissue of the throat or nasal passages, large tonsils, large tongue and sometimes the jaw structure itself.
OSA symptoms may include:
- excessive daytime sleepiness
- waking up feeling exhausted
- headaches
Symptoms that your bed partner is likely aware of:
- frequent episodes of obstructive breathing during sleep
- snoring, gasping, choking or gurgling sound
- grinding of teeth
If you or your partner are aware of some or all of these symptoms, you may need to be tested for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This sleep study test can be coordinated by your Dentist and Physician.
The American Sleep Disorders Association recommends that oral appliances be used in patients with primary snoring or mild OSA and in patients with moderate to severe OSA who are intolerant of or refuse treatment with nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). Oral appliances for the treatment of Snoring and OSA fall into two main categories, those which hold the tongue forward and those which reposition the mandible (and the attached tongue) forward during sleep
