New Patients (518) 650-1930

Current Patients (518) 237-0019

100 Main St. Cohoes, NY 12047

Sleep Apnea Cohoes, NY

oral appliance for osa cohoes ny
Sleep, or a lack thereof, is a topic of conversation and a common news item as many of us go through our daily lives feeling sleep deprived. For many of those suffering with the effects of a poor night’s sleep, there is more going on than just too few hours in the day.

At Capital Region Complete Dental Care and Implants in Cohoes, NY, Dr. Frederick Marra sees a growing number of patients with sleep disorders that are affecting both daily life and overall physical well being. Sleep disorders can have a number of underlying causes. Proper diagnosis is important to provide effective treatment and avoid major health concerns associated with certain types of sleep disorders.

Dr. Marra will discuss your medical history, lifestyle habits and symptoms to determine if a sleep study should be performed. He can help patients coordinate this with their general physician. An important focus of a sleep study is to determine of you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This type of sleep disorder is a growing health concern and has been linked to both cardiovascular and systemic disease.

​

What Is OSA?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is the result of collapsing soft tissue at the back of the throat. When this occurs, generally during sleep, the airway is temporarily blocked and breathing ceases for a brief moment. Normal breathing is restored with a loud snore as the airway is cleared. This occurs repeatedly during the night, each time increasing the risks associated with oxygen deprivation in organs and tissues. For those with cardiovascular disease or a systemic illness such as diabetes, symptoms can be made worse and difficult to manage over time.

Common symptoms of OSA

There are certain symptoms that often signal OSA in patients, many of which can be misdiagnosed at first. Recognizing these signs and seeking prompt treatment is important to avoid health risks and a reduced quality of life.

  • Feeling groggy or sleepy during the day
  • Dry mouth in the morning
  • Snoring
  • Headaches in the morning
  • Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness
  • Moodiness or mood changes
  • Restless sleep, sudden waking

Risk factors associated with OSA can include:

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Having a large neck circumference
  • High blood pressure
  • Smoking or tobacco use
  • Diabetic
  • Males over the age of 40

Treating OSA

The CPAP is considered the “gold standard” of care for patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. But for many, especially those with mild to moderate symptoms, the discomfort and inconvenience leads to low compliance. Dr. Marra offers oral appliance therapy to treat sleep apnea. A custom fitted appliance, similar to a mouth guard, is designed to reposition the jaw joint and prevent the collapse of soft tissues in the throat. In addition to being more convenient to use and highly portable, an oral appliance enables patients to drink fluids and speak clearly while being worn. It has less of an affect on intimate relationships, a common complaint about the cumbersome and often embarrassing CPAP machine. This leads to better rates of compliance among patients, which is ultimately the key to improving health and related symptoms. And everyone gets a better night’s sleep!