Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Wahroonga

Sick of snoring? Your trouble breathing could be a symptom of a larger issue

Snoring can have a negative impact on your personal relationships, but did you know that it may also be a symptom of a serious health concern? Snoring occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the throat collapse during sleep and if these soft tissues collapse and completely seal off the throat this can lead to obstructive sleep apnoea.

Common symptoms of Sleep Apnoea:

  • Snoring
  • Gasping for air, snorting or choking during sleep
  • Excessive fatigue and lethargy during the day
  • Insomnia
  • Poor concentration and memory
  • Headaches
  • Dry mouth or sore throat in the mornings
  • Mood and behaviour changes
  • Excess weight

It is important to note that any of the above can be an early warning sign of undiagnosed sleep apnoea. This condition can then lead to a dramatic increase in the risk of serious diseases such as heart disease (seven times the risk of an average person) and motor vehicle accidents (four to nine times the risk of an average person).

Measuring the severity of sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea can be apparent in varying levels of severity. The key way to measure the severity of sleep apnoea is to identify the number of instances per night that breathing is interrupted. These interruptions normally appear as a snoring sound. The scale of severity is roughly:

•Normal Breathing: very few interruptions per night, commonly fewer than 5 in each hour

•Mild sleep apnoea: anywhere between 5-15 interruptions in any given hour

•Moderate sleep apnoea: anywhere between 15-30 interruptions an hour

•Severe sleep apnoea: anywhere above 30 interruptions an hour.

We may be able to provide a dental solution to snoring and sleep apnoea…

For many patients, oral appliance therapy may be an effective way to treat mild obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring.

An oral appliance called a mandibular advancement splint can be used to reposition the jaw during sleep – preventing the soft tissues and tongue at the back of the throat from obstructing the airway. This device will be custom made to suit your jaw and your specific sleep apnoea requirements.

Sleep Apnoea Sydney

To discover more about our dental solutions for snoring and sleep apnoea, or to request a consultation with one of our dentists located in Northern Sydney, please contact us.