Father’s Day is a time to celebrate all of the wonderful dads out there. But for the millions of fathers who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, Father’s Day may just be another day of feeling tired and exhausted. Because OSA is often undiagnosed, many fathers go through life without knowing that they have a serious health problem and instead feel daily drain. This Father’s Day, the team at Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown in Georgetown, TX wants to raise awareness about the dangers of sleep apnea and how it can impact fathers–and their families.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
Our dentists Drs. Mark Duncan and Mandy Holley describe obstructive sleep apnea (or OSA) as a serious medical condition that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during their sleep. This can happen dozens or even hundreds of times per night and can lead to serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Sleep apnea is often undiagnosed because it can be hard to tell if someone is snoring or if they’re actually not breathing. And even though snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, not all who snore have the condition.
What can I do about obstructive sleep apnea?
If you’re a dad with obstructive sleep apnea, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep and your health. First, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and ask for a referral to a sleep specialist. They may schedule a sleep study to determine if you are a sufferer of OSA. There are also some lifestyle changes you can make, like losing weight, quitting smoking, and avoiding alcohol before bed. You may need to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help you breathe at night but might find it uncomfortable. At many dental offices, you can now use oral appliances to treat their OSA, eliminating the need for a cumbersome device that is difficult to travel with and instead utilizing a small mouthguard worn at night.
Contact Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown today to learn more about treating OSA with oral appliance therapy
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition, but it’s treatable. If you think you might have OSA, talk to our team or your primary care physician to get the diagnosis and treatment you need. And this Father’s Day, let’s all make a commitment to better sleep for dads everywhere!