So- when you got married they didn’t snore. Slowly over the years things have changed. Now there is a chain saw in the bedroom! One of you has moved out to the guest room.
Now, they are always tired, have dark circles under their eyes, grumpy and are probably grinding their teeth too.
Even worse...your child is snoring. Don’t just blame it on a cold. They do it all the time. They sleep with their mouth open and just not breathing well. They have ground their baby teeth down to nubs and everyone just says “oh it’s normal.”
No, it is not normal at all.
This is not just SNORING. Behind the “Snoring Curtain” are issues that must be diagnosed and resolved.
If any of this sounds familiar keep reading.
There are so many levels to this problem. People can die during an apneic event. They stop breathing. At the very least when we snore, we are not going into a deep sleep.
My first introduction to sleep apnea was with my grandmother. I was 15 years old.
We had to share a bedroom on a vacation. Lord, she snored and stopped breathing so many times I would lie there awake, scared, and think she was dead. She would lie there without a breath for 30 seconds or more! Then with a huge snort, she would take a deep breath. Does this sound like your loved one?
She died later with dementia that was caused by her hundreds of bouts of apnea. She stopped breathing for years and cut off the oxygen to her brain over and over and over, taking small brain cells with the apneic event.
This problem is real. Don’t let your loved one struggle with these issues.
In our office, we see people who are grinding their teeth or have red bleeding gums just in the front of their mouth, which is our first clue. The next is a few questions about their sleeping habits. The CPAP machine is not always the answer so don’t stop reading. After a discussion with the patient, we talk about the route of diagnosing this issue. Since there are so many reasons and treatments, it’s important to not just label everyone the same. We must listen to the patient and really think about the reasons and plan of action. Not getting this resolved can break up marriages. I have had patients really upset over their situations. Depending on the chat we determine if it’s a sinus or dental issue.
If it’s a sinus issue, I always refer all my patients to a great ENT who knows sleep issues and how to resolve them. You want to get this resolved.
In children, this is terrible to let it go on. So please don’t! Children especially feel the effects. Chronic sinusitis, throat infections, mouth breathing, flattened baby teeth, poor performance in school - these are all the signs. Facial boney development can be affected by a child’s inability to breath.
If any of this sounds familiar -“ Houston, we have a problem” another round of antibiotics for their sixth sinus infection is not acceptable. Your poor child needs to be seen by an appropriate doctor who can get it right and resolved.
After a thorough evaluation by us and possibly an ENT doctor, maybe a sleep study for a spouse, the recommended treatment can be prescribed. This could be as simple as an appliance to wear to change the jaw position or a nasal or sinus surgery.
Any of the prescribed solutions will help you breathe better, sleep better, which will make you feel better!!
Get your partner back in the bedroom.
Call our office if anyone in your family snores.
We would love to help guide you and your family to be healthier!
Golsen Family Dentistry
3400 Old Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta
GolsenDental.com 770.667.0669