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Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep and when untreated breathing stops repeatedly. When this occurs the brain and rest of the body are being deprived of oxygen. The cause of sleep apnea is usually blockage in the back of the throat where soft tissue collapses.


There is a greater risk to develop sleep apnea if you are male, overweight, and history of it in your family. Side effects are high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and depression. If you snore loudly and wake up feeling tired after a long night sleep regularly, these may be signs of sleep apnea.


A lifestyle change that helps cure sleep apnea is weight loss. Medical alternatives include different devices to be worn while you sleep to prevent blockage of the airways and in more severe cases surgery can be done to help with sleep apnea.


For questions about sleep apnea and possible solutions, give us a call at Healthy Smiles. To learn about our services provided at our practice, visit www.myfamilydentistsalem.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, OR, call 503-385-1185.

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