Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head SC
We all have experienced a night of poor sleep at some point. Therefore, everyone can attest to how they feel after losing a night of sleep, and it is not the most favorable way to go through the day. But if you are one of the millions of sleep apnea sufferers, your plight may be more serious than you realize. Living with untreated sleep apnea has detrimental health effects, including safety issues like driving a vehicle or operating machinery at work. Find out how sleep apnea affects your life and how Dr. Chris Mohler, DDS, can help.
Chronic Fatigue
Feeling tired all of the time takes a toll. For chronic sleep apnea sufferers, daily fatigue affects energy levels and nutrition, among other things. Chronic fatigue can even invoke depressive feelings, causing a person to lose interest in participating in once-loved activities or avoiding family outings and gatherings due to feeling tired. You might find yourself dozing off at work or when relaxing in the evenings. While a short power nap, no more than 20 minutes, is ideal for an occasional pick-me-up, you should not rely on long naps daily.
Moody
Sleep apnea that is not well controlled affects your mood. Do you ever find yourself feeling down in the dumps or snappy at everyone? Do the littlest things seem to set you off? If so, it could be because of chronic sleep loss as a result of sleep apnea. Life has its ups and downs, and everyone has moments of irritability or discourse, although it should not be usual behavior. Try to be open-minded if your loved one or close friend approaches you about your constant irritability because it can be difficult to detect on your own, or you may be in denial about your behavior.
Poor Memory
Do you feel like you are constantly forgetting where you put your keys or forgetting about important appointments, meetings, or deadlines at work? Everyone has life stressors that get in the way of remembering things. Still, if you feel forgetful all of the time or your poor memory is getting in the way of your job or family commitments, you should consider getting a sleep apnea screening in Bluffton at Chris Mohler, DDS. Poor memory or cognitive decline are signs of untreated sleep apnea, which may worsen without treatment.
Low Libido
Aging adults often chalk up their low sex drive to hormone changes, lower testosterone levels, or that it is a product of getting older. However, age is not always to blame for low libido levels. Sleep apnea sufferers often are tired all of the time, have decreased energy, and, therefore, have low libido. For men, studies confirm that untreated sleep apnea may even cause erectile dysfunction.
Increased Health Risks
Uncontrolled sleep apnea poses additional health threats, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia. One study explains how sleep apnea elevates blood pressure, increases inflammatory response, lipolysis, and insulin resistance. Additionally, patients that already have cardiovascular disease may be at an even greater risk of these complications. Therefore, it is essential to manage sleep apnea so that you can breathe better during sleep and rest without interruptions to your sleep pattern.
Greater Risk of an Accident
Being tired all of the time could hinder your judgment and decision-making or cause you to doze off at inappropriate times, such as while driving or operating machinery at work. Therefore, your chronic fatigue could impose consequences on those around you, even friends and loved ones. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is 2.5 times higher in people with untreated sleep apnea.
Treating Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea treatment for mild to moderate cases may include wearing a customized oral orthotic that serves the main purpose of opening the airway. Patients that receive oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea in Beaufort find that wearing their orthotic is comfortable and effective. Plus, the orthotic does not emit noise or require electricity, like a CPAP machine, making oral appliance therapy the preferred solution to managing sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Dentist in Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head, SC
Living with chronic sleep loss poses dire consequences on your life and your health. Not only does untreated sleep apnea pose significant threats to your health, but it could result in harming someone else if you were to fall asleep while driving or operating machinery on the job. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to get a sleep apnea screening in Beaufort today. Learn more or contact Chris Mohler, DDS, by calling (843) 522-1442 or complete a Contact Form.