The human body is an amazing creation that is designed to function optimally under certain conditions. For instance, the body requires restful sleep. Experts recommended a minimum of 6 hours of restful sleep for adults and at least 8 hours for teenagers. The more sleep the better.
Unfortunately, people usually develop sleeping problems due to a variety of reasons. Sleep disorders are characterized by the inability to fall asleep or having uninterrupted sleep patterns.
If you wake up in the morning feeling tired, you could have sleep apnea. Fortunately, the condition can be treated by dental specialists trained in the treatment of sleep apnea.
Treatment for Sleep Apnea
Dr. Jeremy J. Abbott is a specialist in dental sleep medicine and orofacial pain medicine. These were the two main areas of focus for Dr. Abbott during his residency at UCLA. His area of practice is concentrated on TMJ disorders, facial pain, headaches, and the management of sleep apnea.
Whatever the cause of your sleep disorder, Dr. Abbott will examine you and recommend that you visit your family doctor to order sleep studies for a diagnosis if you have signs of sleep apnea.
He serves patients living in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Dr. Abbott’s main objectives are to help patients manage pain and improve their breathing during sleep.
Types of sleep apnea
Breathing is an involuntary action, that the body can perform even when you’re asleep. However, if there is any type of obstruction in your air passages, your sleep may be interrupted.
For instance, if the throat muscles relax for one reason or another, you may experience loud snoring. This will disrupt your breathing and cause sleeping problems. This condition is commonly referred to as obstructive sleep apnea.
If for some reason your brain fails to automatically send proper signals to muscles that control your breathing cycle, your breathing will be interrupted and wake you up. This condition is known as central sleep apnea.
The last type of sleep apnea is known as complex sleep apnea syndrome. This occurs when a person experiences both obstructive and complex sleep apnea.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
– Snoring loud enough to interrupt your sleeping partner
– Chronic headaches
– Chest pain at night
– Choking or gasping for breath during sleep
– Restless sleep
– Sore throat when you wake up
– Feeling unusually sleepy during the day
– Irritability
– Episodes where a person stops breathing as witnessed by someone else
– Cognitive impairment (difficulty paying attention during the day)
Diagnosing sleep apnea
It is not possible to self-diagnose yourself for sleep apnea. The best approach is to consult a medical practitioner. Dr. Jeremy J. Abbott has years of experience helping patients with sleep disorders. He normally recommends an overnight sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea.
During the test, the patient is hooked up to different types of equipment to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, brain activity, leg movements, and breathing patterns while asleep.
The results of the polysomnography test will then be analyzed, and the severity of the sleeping problem determined before treatment can be offered.
TMJ treatment
In addition to treating sleeping problems, Dr. Abbott also specializes in TMJ cases. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. This is the joint connecting the upper and lower jaws of the human body. When the joint has a problem, it can cause severe oral facial pain.
Sleep apnea dental office helping dc residents
Whether you have signs of sleep apnea or TMJ issues, Dr. Jeremy J. Abbott and his team can help you. Be sure to book your appointment online or call the office to make your appointment in advance.
About Dr. Jeremy J. Abbott
Dr. Abbott is a member of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, the American Academy for Dental Sleep Medicine, and the American Board of Orofacial Pain.
Dr. Abbott has successfully treated many patients with jaw pain and severe sleep apnea. He often prescribes oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea. Nobody should suffer daytime fatigue or sleepless nights due to dental pain as Dr. Jeremy J. Abbott is a board-certified orofacial pain specialist, who is residency trained in orofacial pain and dental sleep medicine to aid in the treatment of sleep disorders.