Who would have thought that your tongue could play such a pivotal role to your sleep, health and overall wellbeing?! And that having a thinner tongue could stop your sleep apnoea?!
It is estimated that globally, almost 1 billion people suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). OSA, is dangerous to one's health. lt can damage the brain's white matter, raise blood pressure, contribute to depression and heighten the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Obestity is a key risk factor for the condition. A previous study by Schwab and his team had found obese people with obstructive sleep apnoea had considerably larger tongues with higher percentages of tongue fat than obese people without the condition. Having a fat tongue could be a key reason you snore, choke, gasp or stop breathing periodically during the night, ruining your sleep and potentially your health.
So can having a slimmer tongue improve your sleep apnoea? The answer is YES!
A new study found you can trim down your fatty tongue as you lose overall body fat. Reducing your weight in general, will reduce your tongue size, thus helping reduce your sleep apnoea, improving your sleep and hence improving your overall health.
Dr Jennifer Collins of Northumberland Dental Care in Dublin 4, recommends attending your dentist for a dental appointment if you are finding that you snore, gasp, choke or hold your breath during the night as you may have OSA. Along with reducing your weight, there are many treatment options that can help your OSA. Dr Jennifer Collins says, that currently, the gold-standard treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure, known as CPAP therapy. People wear a device over their nose and mouth that is connected to a machine that blows air into their mouths, thus keeping the airway from narrowing. #snoring #dentist #nightguard #sleeping #sleepapnoea #obesity #fattongue #troublesleeping