Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley CA
More than 25.7% of adults in America suffer from at least one seasonal allergy. This data, which comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, means that one out of every four adults deals with allergies. In some cases, these allergies are severe enough to affect sleep patterns, but you may not know that airborne allergens and obstructive sleep apnea both may cause similar disruptions in sleep. Today on the blog, your sleep apnea dentists in Los Gatos help you understand how to tell the difference between sleep issues caused by allergies and sleep apnea.
Seasonal allergies
You might also refer to this condition as hay fever but your doctor knows it clinically as allergic rhinitis.
Regardless of the name, the symptoms are the same:
- A runny nose
- Sneezing
- Nasal congestion
- Difficulty smelling
- Stuffy ears
- Watery eyes
- Headaches
- You may also experience an itchy feeling, which can emanate from your nose, mouth, eyes, throat or skin.
The cause: Common substances that aggravate allergies or induce an allergy attack include dust, animal dander and pollen.
The effects on sleep: That itchy feeling can make it hard to relax and rest for sleep, especially if it is making your eyes or nose itch. Sneezing, post-nasal drip and persistent coughing also can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Treatment: Many patients treat their seasonal allergies with an over-the-counter antihistamine. You know these medications; they are advertised frequently on TV and in print. Some people experience allergies so severe that they take prescription medicine or even receive allergy shots. To help with sleep, allergy sufferers may place a humidifier in the bedroom or use a pillow made of a hypoallergenic fabric.
Sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is a well-known and serious sleep breathing disorder. Someone with this disorder experiences blockages of the airway that either make breathing or difficult or totally disrupt airflow. These blockages are known as apneic events and, in each case, oxygen levels in the body drop until the brain, believing it is choking to death, signals the body to resume normal breathing.
Sleep apnea can affect people of any age and you should be aware of the symptoms:
- Loud snoring
- Waking up from sleep
- Making choking or gasping sounds while asleep
- Chronic daytime fatigue
- Otherwise unexplained irritability or weight gain
- Also, children with sleep apnea may experience symptoms similar to a hyperactivity disorder such as ADD or ADHD.
The cause: Airway blockages usually occur because of a collapse of soft tissue into the airway because of weak throat muscles, or because there is not enough room in the mouth to accommodate the tongue, which slides back into the airway.
The effects on sleep: Each apneic event disrupts the sleep cycle. Now, consider that, for someone with advanced sleep apnea, these apneic events can occur hundreds of times in a given night. These frequent disruptions to the sleep cycle mean the patient does not spend enough time in the deepest stages of sleep, making it impossible for them to get the quality rest that they need.
Treatment: While a diagnosis of sleep apnea only can come from a qualified sleep specialist, Drs. Max and Ariana Ebrahimian can perform an airway evaluation to determine if signs of the sleep breathing disorder are present. Once an official diagnosis has been made, Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry can treat sleep apnea through a course of oral appliance therapy. This entails wearing a custom-made mandibular advancement device that brings the lower jaw forward. This encourages the optimum resting oral posture – with lips closed, teeth closed and tongue resting gently against the roof of the mouth – and helps the airway remain open throughout the night, preventing the blockages that precipitate apneic events from happening.
Sleep apnea treatment in Los Gatos, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, California
Maybe you suffer from seasonal allergies but you also have some signs of a sleep breathing disorder. Schedule an airway evaluation today with the team at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry. Give us a call at (831) 438-4411 or contact us online.
