My wife and I recently celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. We decided, to celebrate the big day, to go on a camping trip with all of our kids up to the Payson Lakes area. I know, sounds romantic, doesn't it?
Despite all of the kids being with us for the big day we still had a great time. The kids even allowed us a few minutes alone on the canoe...sort of (our 3 year old insisted on coming with us.)
As I've contemplated the past several years of marriage and the relationship I have with my wife I have come to realize that there are quite a few things that I do in my wife's presence that I never would have felt comfortable doing or having my wife know about me during our dating years nor even during our first few months of marriage.
Take, for example, snoring.
And would I have wanted to know that she snores sometimes? (Sorry, honey, everyone knows now.) Would that have affected my decision? Hmm...probably not.
Well, whether you talked about this with your significant other or not, you are now together and must deal with it. And modern dentistry has some solutions to this common problem.
Yes, Honey, You Do Snore
See, the reason we snore is that soft tissue in the back of our throat (i.e. the tongue and the soft tissue of the upper throat) relaxes when we sleep and falls back into our airway. So, when we try to breathe while we're sleeping that soft tissue that has collapsed into the airway vibrates, causing that snoring sound. It's kind of like air rushing past a taut string or rope which vibrates and makes noise.
It works like a charm.
Sleep Apnea
Another similar problem to the snoring issue is sleep apnea. But, in the case of sleep apnea, the airway is cut off so severely that all breathing can completely stop for a short period of time (up to 30 seconds) and this can happen multiple times per hour (up to 60 times or more per hour!). This can cause a severe lack of sleep and all of the problems associated with sleep deprivation.
In mild cases of sleep apnea an oral appliance can help alleviate this problem, but in moderate to severe cases you may need to use a machine of some kind to help you breathe at night. This is something that your physician will evaluate and treat you for.
Help Is Available
Whether you're breathing is stopping completely, you're snoring, or whether your significant other or children is/are having problems with any of the above issues, there is help available. And that help may be more easily obtained than you think it is.
Come try it out. It may help save your marriage.
Dr. David J. Barry, DMD
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