If you are looking forward to getting out and traveling this summer, now is the time to be planning your trips. For those with sleep apnea, that means planning how to treat sleep apnea while you travel.
If you like to travel, you should consider oral appliance therapy. Even if you use a different treatment at home, oral appliance therapy benefits you while traveling.
Keep Treating Sleep Apnea While Traveling
Many people consider leaving their sleep apnea treatment at home when they travel. However, there are good reasons to keep up your sleep apnea treatment while traveling.
First, sleep apnea is a severe threat to your health. If you don’t treat your sleep apnea, you put yourself at elevated risk of cumulative damage to your heart, blood vessels, and brain.
You probably remember what life was like before you got sleep apnea treatment. Sleep apnea symptoms like low energy, lack of interest, and irritability make life less enjoyable for you and those around you. Being on vacation or traveling for work are terrible times to revisit that experience.
Sleep apnea might very well be worse while you’re traveling, too. You’re likely to drink more alcohol, causing your airway muscles to relax. In addition, you might encounter more irritants in the air when traveling than you do at home.
Finally, there’s the issue of snoring, which sleep apnea treatment helps control. Who wants to share a hotel room or tent with you when you’re snoring?
Benefits of Traveling with Oral Appliance Therapy
If you want to take your sleep apnea treatment traveling, there are many benefits to oral appliance therapy. With oral appliance therapy, you will enjoy:
- No hassle at the airport
- No power concerns
- No space concern
- No need for extra cleaning equipment
All of these can make for a smoother travel experience.
Navigate the Airport Without Hassle
An oral appliance is easy to manage at the airport. It fits in your pocket and can easily go through security. There’s no concern that you won’t find space for it on the plane, and if you want to sleep while on the plane, you can pop your oral appliance in, and no one will know.
Feel Free to Vacation with No Power
Have you ever traveled to another country or wanted to go backpacking or tent camping and were worried about how to keep up with your sleep apnea treatment? Oral appliances don’t need power to operate, so you never have to worry about finding an outlet or adapter. You can go camping for weeks at a time without ever worrying about your sleep apnea treatment.
Your Oral Appliance is Pocket-Sized
Depending on what type of vacation you’re planning, you may need to conserve space and consider leaving your sleep apnea treatment behind. But with an oral appliance, you don’t need to. It doesn’t require any extra space to use. It’s lightweight and easy to carry. Put your oral appliance in and go to sleep. Use it on a plane or bus or in a car. Anywhere you can sleep, you can use your oral appliance.
It Doesn’t Require Extra Cleaning Equipment
Your oral appliance is easy to use and easy to clean. You won’t need to bring anything extra besides its case to keep it safe. Wherever you’re going should have water which is all you need to clean it. Soak or rinse your oral appliance in water and brush it with your toothbrush when you wake up. It’ll be clean and ready for use whenever you need it.
Get a Convenient Oral Appliance in Lee’s Summit
Oral appliance therapy is easy to travel with. Learn if an oral appliance might be right for you and schedule an appointment with a sleep dentist at the Center for TMJ & Sleep Apnea. Please call or use our online contact form today to request an appointment at our office in Lee’s Summit, MO.
