Sleep Apnea Treatment Near Me Bloomington IL

When searching for sleep apnea treatment near me in Bloomington, Illinois, dental offices may not immediately come to mind. But Eastland Dental Center is the right place for comfortable and effective snoring solutions.

Why snoring solutions and sleep apnea treatment go together

It’s estimated that 80 million North Americans snore. Snoring can be the primary condition. Or, it can be a secondary condition, indicative of medical problems with serious complications like sleep apnea. Snoring on its own as the primary condition isn’t dangerous. But, it can still have big consequences, especially for partners whose sleep may be disrupted. Relationships may suffer. There is even more on the line for snorers whose habitual snoring is secondary to sleep apnea.

With “simple” snoring, the muscles and tissues in your throat and mouth relax naturally during sleep. As this occurs, the airway narrows, and airflow increases. Tissues vibrate and produce characteristic noisy rattles and rumbles. With sleep apnea, the tongue and tissues in your mouth may completely block the airway, starving your lungs of air. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most prevalent form of disordered breathing at rest, but you may also have “central” or “mixed” forms of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea isn’t caused by a blockage of the airway but rather by your brain failing to tell your body to inhale. Mixed, or complex, sleep apnea is a combination of both apneas and is characterized by breathlessness that lingers even after the airway is opened.

Signs of secondary snoring

How you snore can tell us about why you snore. When snoring is associated with obstructive sleep apnea, it’s often:

• Very loud
• Disruptive to others who hear it
• Accompanied by periods of silence, 10 seconds or longer
• Characterized by snorts and gasps

The snorting and gasping that often follows episodes of silence is caused by your brain panicking, telling your body that it can’t breathe and it needs to wake up. That’s how dangerous this condition can be! OSA sufferers experience this cycle of falling asleep and waking up with a start repeatedly through the night, even 50 or more times per hour. Perhaps some of the biggest clues, however, aren’t about how you snore or even how you sleep.

You may be suffering from more than benign snoring if you have:

• Daytime fatigue, despite getting seven or more hours of sleep each night
• Persistent dry mouth
• Chronic headaches
• Frequent sore throat
• Irritability
• Concentration problems

We all need quality sleep. When sleep apnea interferes with the ability to get restful sleep, your performance at work or school may suffer. You’re also more prone to workplace or road accidents. Over the longer term, you’re at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, and even nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Advanced and trusted dentistry to the rescue

Effective relief starts with knowing the true nature of your symptoms. We don’t want to address snoring when something more serious may underlie your noisy symptoms. Dr. Mike Milligan works closely with your clinical care team and offers convenient, precision diagnostics to get to the source of your snoring. Described as a sleep laboratory that you can fit in the palm of your hand, the MediByte monitors key snoring and respiratory characteristics from the comfort of your home. This accurate and precise evaluation system is a convenient and comfortable alternative to offsite testing at a lab.

Armed with a clear picture of your condition, the doctors develop a treatment plan that may include oral appliance therapy. These appliances resemble retainers. They’re lightweight, convenient, noninvasive, affordable, no-hassle, and effective. Customized to your unique needs and worn while you sleep, they reposition the jaw or tongue to keep the airway open during sleep.

Surgical techniques are reportedly only 20 to 40 percent effective. CPAP therapy, while effective, traditionally has low compliance rates. Some CPAP users never get used to the bulky, loud machine or the mask that delivers the continuous positive airway pressure necessary to prevent your airway from collapsing. What good is an effective treatment if it isn’t used? FDA-cleared devices like The Moses eliminate these conventional barriers to treatment.

Get quality sleep – your health and well-being depend on it! Call Eastland Dental Center at (309) 663-4711 to schedule a consultation.