At Santa Fe Dental, we know that patients often need help finding sleep apnea treatment in Edmond, OK. A lot of misinformation surrounds sleep apnea that makes it hard for patients dealing with the sleep disorder to know how to separate fact from fiction.

So that you have the knowledge needed to find the sleep apnea treatment in Edmond that’s right for you, let’s take a moment to dispel some of the myths that surround sleep apnea.

Myth: Snoring is the Only Condition Sleep Apnea Causes

While the most common symptom in patients with sleep apnea, snoring isn’t the only thing the sleep disorder does to your body at night. Patients with sleep apnea actually stop breathing up to 400 times throughout the night. These pauses in breathing can last anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds, and they’re usually followed by a loud snort or chortle that marks when breathing starts again. Not only does not breathing cause the brain to receive too little oxygen, it also places a significant strain on the rest of the body, and can prevent you from receiving the sleep needed to feel rested the next day.

Myth: Sleep Apnea Posses No Health Risk

Repeatedly falling asleep only to have the brain shock you awake multiple times an hour places a great deal of strain on the body. As a result, patients with severe sleep apnea have a significantly higher risk for developing a range of serious health problems that include high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

Myth: Sleep Apnea Only Affects Older Adults

It’s estimated that over 18 million Americans suffer from nightly sleep apnea. While the disorder is more commonly reported in adults 40 and older, it can impact the sleep of patients of all ages. If you’re a man, overweight, Latino, or African-American, you have a higher risk for developing sleep apnea. The disorder also appears to run in families, so if you could hear grandpa snoring loudly at night, you may want to have yourself checked.

Myth: Kids Don’t Develop Sleep Apnea

The rates for kids with sleep apnea are far lower when compared to the number of adults, but the disorder can still impact the rest of up to 10 percent of all children. Most kids with sleep apnea develop only minor symptoms, and many will eventually outgrow the problem. However, some kids do begin to exhibit developmental problems as a result of receiving too little adequate sleep.

Myth: Weight Loss Doesn’t Impact Sleep Apnea

You can help to lessen the symptoms of sleep apnea when you lose even a small amount of weight. If you carry around excess weight, talk with your doctor about starting a weight loss program.

Myth: Sleep Apnea Treatments Make It Hard to Sleep

For a lot of people, treating sleep apnea makes them think of clunky and uncomfortable CPCP machines that require wearing facemasks and hoses when asleep. While CPAP technology has come a long way in recent years to cause much fewer disruptions with a patient’s sleep, alternative technologies do exist that can help to treat the disorder.

At Santa Fe Dental, we use the revolutionary VIVOS system to treat patients with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea, snoring, and sleep-disordered breathing. Unlike CPAP, VIVOS works to naturally correct troubled sleep that’s the result of any anatomical issues that narrow the airway to cause disruptions in how you breathe at night.

Don’t let misinformation about sleep apnea keep you from getting the treatment you need to enjoy a better night’s rest. Contact our team at Santa Fe Dental today to learn more about what VIVOS can do for you.