How to Avoid Sleep Apnea Complications

In and of itself, sleep apnea is problematic. Because it interferes with your ability to get a good night’s sleep, this condition can lead to daytime grogginess, headaches when you wake up, and more. 

But the biggest issues with sleep apnea actually don’t lie in how this condition makes you feel the next day. Unfortunately, if you let it go untreated, you can experience a wide range of other serious health problems. 

Here at Sokoly Dental in Washington, D.C., Thomas D. Sokoly, DDS, and our team offer treatment for sleep apnea. Not only does treatment help you stop snoring and get a better night’s rest, but it can also lower your risk of developing serious apnea-related complications.

If you’ve been putting off addressing your sleep apnea, we have one good reason to schedule an appointment with us: Doing so could help you lead a longer, healthier life.

When sleep apnea causes other health issues 

Studies have linked untreated sleep apnea to the following serious health problems:

• Heart attacks
• Type 2 diabetes
• Strokes

And that’s not all. Other research has uncovered that sleep apnea increases your mortality risk. In other words, leaving this condition unchecked could potentially shorten your lifespan. 

If you’ve been thinking that your snoring and your poor sleep quality aren’t a big deal, think again. They’re warning signs that your body is fighting for breath overnight — and needs treatment to prevent this problem from leading to something serious. 

Avoiding complications — without a CPAP machine

Some people dismiss sleep apnea because they think it isn’t a major issue. Others put off getting treatment because they think doing so will mean getting saddled with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. 

A sleep apnea diagnosis doesn’t have to mean hooking up to a machine each night; Dr. Sokoly offers an alternative. 

Here at Sokoly Dental, he can fit you with a customized oral appliance. This mouthguard fits comfortably over your teeth and gently guides your lower jaw forward. This opens up space in your throat to keep your airways clear so you can breathe throughout the night. 

This type of treatment generally works best for people with mild to moderate sleep apnea. It can provide the following:

• Alleviate your snoring
• Help you get a good night’s sleep
• Reduce your chance of a serious apnea-related health complication 

To find out if this kind of sleep apnea treatment is right for you — and to lower your risk of major health issues in the process — make an appointment with our team. Call our Washington, D.C., office or book your appointment online today.