Sleep Apnea and Smoking Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that affects how much oxygen your body is taking in while you sleep. Coupled with decreased lung capacity from smoking and you are putting your health at serious risk. In addition, there is a common link between patients who smoke and patients with sleep apnea, this may be due to upper respiratory inflammation from smoking tobacco or marijuana. We can provide the education and tools you need to breathe better while you sleep. Our staff at Dallas Oral Surgery Associates can provide you with multiple options including both surgical treatments and non-surgical appliances depending on your needs and develop a plan to improve your condition and get the rest you need.Understanding the link between Sleep Apnea and SmokingSleep apnea is a condition that impacts how much REM sleep you are getting and then how your body reacts as a result of interrupted sleep. To better understand the link between obstructive sleep apnea and smoking, we need to better understand what is going on. Obstructive Sleep ApneaPatients with obstructive sleep apnea generally experience a collapse in their throat tissue that causes their body to not get the intake of oxygen they need while they sleep. The brain is then triggered of this loss of oxygen and emits a stress hormone to rouse your body just enough to gasp and take in a deep breath. This can happen many times, even hundreds of times, throughout the night. The combination of being roused and having such frequent stress hormones released can be very taxing on the body. The immediate results would include not feeling well rested, waking with headaches and even feeling irritable. The long term results, following long periods of nightly sleep apnea, can be dangerous for your health. Patients have been found to have high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, increased diabetes risk and more. Smoking and Sleep ApneaSmoking, whether it is tobacco or marijuna is bad for your lungs and tissues in your throat. Smoke in general, whether it is from smoking, a campfire, or yard debris burning, is bad for your lungs. Smoke contains toxins, carcinogens, and irritants that harm your lungs. Tar is a byproduct of burning biological materials. As tar coats your lungs, it decreases your ability to breathe in the same amount of oxygen. In addition, throat tissue becomes inflamed and irritated, often causing swelling, decreasing the pipe in your throat to intake air. In fact, smoking could be the cause of your obstructive sleep apnea. How Can We Help?The first step is diagnosing sleep apnea. This may take an evaluation or for some it may require a sleep study. Once we have diagnosed the problem, we can then talk about options. We offer a couple of different dental appliances that are worn like a retainer and do not require pumped in oxygen like the CPAP does. We also may have some surgical procedures that can help. The first step is in identifying the problem. Give Dallas Oral Surgery Associates a call at 214-363-9946 today for help treating your sleep apnea. |
