Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnoea and snoring prevention in Colchester, using the Sleepwell® appliance

Sleep apnoea is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which the patient will stop breathing or breathe very shallowly to the point where the body is being starved of oxygen. It has been referred to as the silent epidemic as it’s becoming more common as it is linked to being overweight and older age.

Sleep apnoea is underdiagnosed as unless it is quite severe the symptoms are limited or infrequent. While pre-screening tests are useful they will not catch all potential cases. Diagnosis is made via a sleep study which measures the amount of oxygen in the blood among other things. Usually, this is done in a hospital environment but newer machines have been developed for at-home use with the data being reported upon by trained personnel.

Sleep apnoea can cause serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes and sudden death.

Snoring, on the other hand, can be an indication of sleep apnoea but in most cases, snoring does not indicate the person is sleep apnoeic.

Sleep apnoea and snoring treatment

At Hello Dental we use a well-researched appliance called a Sleepwell® that has shown to be very effective in treating sleep apnoea and snoring. If your sleep apnoea is severe, it is recommended you check with your sleep medicine consultant so that you are monitored to ensure the appliance is most effective. In severe sleep apnoea, if Sleepwell® does not address the problem, a high oxygen breathing appliance called a CPAP, ensures that the body and brain receive enough oxygen.

You can find out more about snoring and sleep apnoea here.

If you would like to find out more about sleep apnoea or snoring appliances, please contact us for a free consultation with one of our dentists in Colchester.