Beverly Hills sleep medicine dentist Dr. David Frey is joining with other sleep medicine professionals to warn about the dangers of drowsy driving. Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving. Each year it is estimated that drowsy drivers cause about 100,000 accidents including many fatalities. Teenagers are at the highest risk for drowsy driving but people who suffer from undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea are at risk as well.
Sometimes it is hard to tell just how sleepy you really are when driving. If you find yourself yawning constantly, have trouble focusing on the road, find yourself drifting into other lanes or onto the side of the road it is time to pull over! The majority of drowsy driving accidents occur after midnight and before 6am but sleep apnea patients can experience drowsy driving at any time.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to stop breathing during sleep. Sleepers usually experience loud snoring with gasps or choking noises as they briefly wake to gulp air – this happens many times each night leaving them feeling exhausted in the morning. Extreme daytime sleepiness is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea.
A dentist who has special training in the field of dental sleep medicine like Beverly Hills dentist Dr. David Frey can help determine if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and can offer a safe, comfortable and non-invasive method of treatment that can restore your energy levels and allow you that full night of restful sleep.
Please contact Beverly Hills sleep medicine dentist Dr. David Frey at 310-276-4537 today to schedule your consultation to see if oral appliance therapy is right for you.
How do patients in Beverly Hills decide whether or not they need a sleep study to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea? Beverly Hills dental sleep medicine dentist Dr. David Frey can help them decide.
Most people who have sleep apnea have some or all of the following symptoms:
- Loud snoring. This is not your garden variety quiet droning – think about loud snoring that wakes your bed partner and maybe sends you to sleep on the couch.
- Snorting or gasping during sleep. You probably won’t remember this happening but your bed partner surely will. These sounds follow the periods in which sleep apnea sufferers stop breathing.
- Extreme daytime sleepiness. This type of sleepiness differs from just feeling tired or having no energy. It will feel like all you want to do is take a nap and you may find yourself dropping off to sleep at inopportune moments like in movies, meeting or even while driving.
- Waking up with a headache. The stress of low oxygen levels throughout the night cause problems throughout the body and raise blood pressure. You may also be clenching your jaw during sleep (common in patients with sleep apnea) which can lead to headaches.
- Getting up during the night to go to the bathroom. When your breathing is disrupted it puts pressure on the heart. This affects a hormone that controls the kidneys leading to nocturia. This symptom is more common in extreme cases.
Many obstructive sleep apnea patients seek diagnosis and treatment because their bed partner has witnessed them stop breathing during the night or complains about the loud snoring. If this sounds like you please don’t delay seeking treatment. Beverly Hills sleep apnea dentist Dr. David Frey Sleep apnea can comfortably treat sleep apnea using an oral appliance without the need for CPAP. Contact us at 310-276-4537 today today to find out more and to schedule your consultation.