Does your husband or wife or even your family member tell you that you snore loudly at night? If yes, then you need to remember other symptoms when you wake up. Shortness of breath, pain in the nasal area and headaches might point out to problems in your sleeping. Not only do people experience these symptoms but also teeth grinding issues as well. There are many doctors and dentists suggesting nasal problems might trigger bruxism due to its many similar signs. In worst cases, bruxism and sleep apnea hints as responses to heartburn problems. Check out the many possible connections between the two health problems to find how you can avoid them in the future.
How Do You Define Bruxism And Sleep Apnea?
Bruxism is the medical term for unconscious teeth grinding that most dentists refer to. The causes of the dental problem link to many concerns. The commonly known main cause is that there is abnormal teeth alignment that your body automatically responds to. Teeth grinding can lead to bleeding, swelling, and broken teeth. Dental health concern contributes to sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea. On the other hand, sleep apnea is a problem of breathing due to obstruction in the nasal airways. Health problems such as allergies, deviated septum or even obesity usually cause this sleeping disorder. Bruxism and sleep apnea connections are more obvious than one may think of. The combination of the two health problems are risky and may even proceed in death.
What Makes The Two Connected?
Many people experience the problem of clenching their jaws and teeth at night. Due to bruxism or teeth grinding, dental health is at stake. The link between bruxism and sleep apnea seemingly points that teeth misalignment obstructs the airways of breathing making one experience sleeping disorders. Stress in the breathing airways caused by jaw activities and teeth grinding at night also adds to the sleeping ailment. While there are no direct relation or proven research studies about the two, a number of medical and dental professionals need to find out how to cure one or the other.
Avoiding Bruxism And Sleep Apnea
Thanks to medical and dental technology, patients are able to avoid both bruxism and sleep apnea. Since obesity is always seen hand in hand with the two health problems, the right diet and exercise are highly a recommendation. Bruxism involves treatment that corrects teeth alignment or crookedness. Dental appliances such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device or mouth guards may help the jaw from gnashing the teeth with each other. Moreover, brushing your teeth to avoid plaque and bacteria that cause pain, bleeding or swelling reduces the signs of bruxism at night. Sleep apnea also may get therapeutic procedures such as the right sleeping position as well as resting early. Further problems may also point to GERD or acid reflux in the stomach that needs accurate examinations for treatment. If you find yourself in either one of the concerns, contact your dentist or doctor immediately to diagnose the situation.
Seek A Doctor’s Advice
Whenever prompts of bruxism and sleep apnea occur in a person, it is best to consult your medical or dental health professional right away. Always check the symptoms that bruxism or sleep apnea mentioned previously or other issues such as constant headaches after waking up, dry mouth or sore throat. Preventing these signs will help you avoid further complications in your health.