Florida Dental Sleep Disorders Blog

USE IT OR LOSE IT!

Computer technology is noticeable throughout our daily lives. For sleep apnea suffers it has become even more apparent. The other day I was speaking with a friend whose husband has sleep apnea. Fortunately he uses his CPAP…but not every night! What he wasn’t aware of is that his CPAP has a smart card in it that monitors its use. When he went for a follow-up examination at his doctor’s office he was told of the information obtained from the smart card. Yes big brother is watching or in this case your insurance providers are the eyes in the sky!

The fact of the matter is greater than 50% of the people who are prescribed a CPAP don’t use it at all. The other 50% average using the device 4 nights a week for four hours a night! The insurance companies and even Medicare don’t want to pay for something that is just collecting dust by your bedside! So if you don’t use the CPAP, you will lose it!

Sleep Apnea is a life altering condition that can easily be managed to improve the quality of your life. If you have any questions about alternatives to cope with your sleep breathing disorder, please give us a call at 561-353-5252. We will arrange an appointment to answer your questions and help get you on your way to a healthier nights sleep!

Snoring has often been depicted in a humorous manner. However, it can be a sign of a serious and dangerous health issue. Many times  patients that snore may have other sleep breathing disorders such as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized as abnormal pauses in breathing during sleep. Each pause in breathing can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. This can affect the patient’s health by increasing blood pressure, as well as raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. With this being said, the patient that snores is not the only one affected. The bed partner of the snorer also suffers. The European Heart Journal recently published data that showed that the non-snoring bed partner is susceptible  to increases in blood pressure that raise the risk of hypertension .

Thus,  the secondary target of the snorer has their sleep adversely affected. They too are constantly awoken during the night, fragmenting their sleep as well. Unlike the apnea sufferer who drifts in an out of restless sleep, the bed partner of secondary snoring  isn’t easily able to return to sleep. All stages of their sleep are adversely impacted. They are unable to achieve the appropriate  level of restful sleep due to the unpredictable disturbances created by their noisy bed partner.  It is estimated that snoring and the resultant sleep deprivation cost the United States approximately 100 million dollars in productivity.

What can be done to protect the “snoree”? Earplugs?  The average snore is between 60 & 90 decibels, even the best ear plugs only provide about 30 decibels of protection.  Obviously the best course of action is to screen our patients for signs of a sleep breathing disorders. Remember that denial is a characteristic of human nature, particularly with something that is perceived as embarrassing such as snoring. Screening for conditions as dangerous as Sleep Apnea shouldn’t stop with the obvious targets but also with the less apparent objects of their harmful effects.

For people who have sleep apnea, sleeping throughout the night is, well, a dream. Sleep apnea is a condition where one’s airway is periodically blocked during sleep preventing normal breathing. Managing sleep apnea is challenging and the options are limited.

The most effective device to manage sleep apnea is with a CPAP, the acronym for Continuous Positive Air Pressure. With a properly fit CPAP, the obstructions to your airways can be eliminated entirely. The problem with the CPAP is that it is often uncomfortable and thus not used. When the device sits by the bedside turned off, sleep apnea and it’s related health problems returns, even if someone stops using the device for just one or two nights.

These facts were noted in a study perform at the University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. The researchers findings were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study noted that with discontinued use of a CPAP there was an “marked” increase in blood pressure and heart rate.

It is important to remember that there is no cure for sleep apnea, like diabetes, it must be managed every day. If someone cannot tolerate wearing a CPAP, the best alternative to manage the condition is with an oral appliance. If you have any questions regarding management of sleep apnea with an oral appliance, please call our office at 561-353-5252. We will arrange for an appointment to have all your questions answered and get you on your way to a healthier nights sleep.

Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease.

The relationship with heart disease and sleep apnea is well documented. As noted in the American Journal of Respiratory Care; 50-60% of individuals who suffer with heart disease suffer from Sleep Apnea. The consequences of Sleep Apnea cause a decrease in oxygen levels. This reduction of oxygen places significant stress on the cardiovascular system to the extent that it greatly effects that the functioning of the heart.

It has been shown that managing Sleep Apnea with a CPAP or Oral Appliance will greatly improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system improving blood pressure, lessening the risk of stroke, decreasing the risk of heart attacks, reducing the amount of excessive daytime sleepiness and improving the quality of life!

If you have any questions about Sleep Apnea and how we can help you to manage its impact on your life, please do not hesitate to call us at 561-353-5252. We will arrange a consultation appointment  to address your concerns and to get your on your way to a healthier nights sleep.