Dr. Galliano and his team at Galliano Family Dentistry in Baton Rouge are more than happy to help those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea find relief from their symptoms. Obstructive sleep apnea is common, and happens when a person’s airway collapses completely during sleep, blocking the airflow to the lungs and making breathing incredibly difficult for the person afflicted. When the individual tries to breathe harder, the airway seals even tighter, continuing until the brain actually partially awakens the person. Once awake, she or he will close their jaw and return the tongue and jaw to the normal position. This whole cycle can happen 50 times or more per hour throughout the entirety of the night!

Both the constant awakenings and the deprivation from oxygen throughout the night can cause severe health problems for the individual over time. There are also a wealth of daily problems that sleep apnea sufferers may experience as well, which includes extreme fatigue, headache, irritability, mood swings, excessive daytime sleepiness, and weight gain.