Albertville, AL
Many people snore. Young, athletic individuals, as well as older, overweight adults. Children often find it amusing to hear grandma or grandpa snoring as they snooze on the couch during an afternoon visit with the family. But there’s nothing funny about snoring. Snoring is one of the main symptoms of a sleep-breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea. Simply put, snoring means that your body is struggling to inhale enough air with each attempted breath. In severe cases, sleep apnea results in loud gasps for air, which may sound like the person isn’t breathing at all for a short period. Unfortunately, ignoring sleep apnea could increase one’s risk of heart disease, stroke, and even dementia. Most people that snore are unaware that they do so unless they share a bedroom with a significant other. Usually, it’s the spouse or partner that informs their loved one that they snore. But telling someone they snore may not be enough to get them to seek medical care. So today on the blog, our sleep apnea dentists in Albertville share ways to get your snoring spouse to get help.
What’s happening when my spouse snores?
Snoring is a result of air attempting to seep through a restricted airway. Usually, obstructive sleep apnea is caused by soft tissue blocking the airway. Soft tissue can either become too relaxed or chronically enlarged, restricting airflow. As air is inhaled, the soft tissue vibrates, which causes loud snoring.
Check out a few suggestions to urge your snoring loved one to receive a sleep apnea screening in Albertville
Use a Health Tracker
Many smartphones and watches today come equipped with health trackers that track sleep habits. Depending on the device, this sophisticated technology can identify when you wake and document whether or not you’re in a restful stage of sleep. The device works with a built-in accelerometer, which is small motion sensors that detect even the slightest movements while asleep. The data can be reviewed by you or your sleep apnea doctor in Albertville to assess your sleep quality and time. However, please note that these devices should not be relied upon to diagnose sleep apnea but rather provide data regarding your body movements during sleep.
Share Research About the Risks
Sometimes, understanding the health risks helps someone understand the importance of getting help for a disorder or health condition. If you’d like to share evidence regarding the dangers of untreated sleep apnea, be sure to gather credible articles or studies. Scientific studies reveal a strong connection between untreated sleep apnea and an increased risk of heart disease. Additionally, reliable publications such as Harvard Health Publishing, Science Daily, and the Mayo Clinic provide insightful information regarding the dangers of sleep apnea. Perhaps sharing sleep apnea articles and studies from trusted sources could help convince your loved one about the increased health risks of ignoring their snoring.
Record Them Snoring
Almost everyone has a smartphone, which makes recording your spouse’s snoring is easy to do. As the old adage goes, “the proof is in the pudding.” By replaying a sound clip of your spouse snoring, they may realize the severity of their airway disorder, and therefore more likely to seek help. However, only share the recording with your spouse and not everyone in the family so you do not embarrass your loved one.
Why some people are reluctant to seek sleep apnea treatment
Many people that snore or have sleep apnea are reluctant to get help for their condition because they either don’t think it’s all that serious, or they assume they will be prescribed a noisy CPAP machine. However, our sleep apnea dentists in Albertville at Wall Street Dentistry use alternative treatment for airway disorders. A custom oral appliance is effective at encouraging an open airway that reduces snoring and other sleep apnea symptoms so that you can rest better. The best part about oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea in Albertville is that it is not noisy, is small and easy to take with you when traveling, and can be adjusted by your dentist. So, it may help if your loved one is aware of alternative sleep apnea treatments near you in Albertville.
How to stop snoring in Albertville
If you’re interested in ways to stop snoring or want to make a sleep apnea consultation, please contact Wall Street Dentistry by calling (256) 878-0525.
