Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea affects millions of people throughout the country, including our state of North Carolina. This disorder leads to snoring, which many people may laugh off, but it can also lead to very serious health problems if not remedied.

An obstruction in the airway due to the relaxing of the throat and mouth muscles while you are asleep is the primary cause of sleep apnea. In addition to snoring, other symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Not breathing several hundred times every night
• Choking and gasping for breath
• Restlessness, and tossing and turning

These symptoms occur because the airway is partially or completely blocked. When you do not sleep well, you suffer while you are awake. Those with serious sleep apnea may have problems with their mood including depression, an inability to concentrate, high blood pressure, headaches, and other problems. More seriously is the link between sleep apnea and heart attack and stroke.

Treatment Options

The sleep apnea treatment offered at Boles, Ham, Dixon & Boles is done through Somnomed oral appliances. This helps keep your tongue in place and your jaw jutting forward so that your airway remains open. While this can help many of our patients, other lifestyle changes may work as well. This includes losing weight, cutting back or eliminating alcohol, and stop smoking.

If you would like to find out more about sleep apnea treatments in the Wilson and Greenville, North Carolina area, please contact Boles, Ham, Dixon & Bolesto schedule a sleep apnea treatment consultation.