Obstuctive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a cessation of breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when airway blockage occurs and is a serious, life-threatening situation. [read more in the attached Beautiful Faces article...]

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) happens when the airway is blocked and causes sleep disruption. When this occurs, the tongue and soft tissues at the back of the throat collapse when you are sleeping. This produces pauses in your breathing and can occur from a few times to several hundred times a night and disturbs your sleep. OSA is very serious and causes the following:

1. Excessive daytime sleepiness
2. Increases the risk of high blood pressure
3. Leads to higher rates of stroke, arrhythmias, heart attack and even death.
4. Awakenings with gasping and choking
5. Fragmented, non-refreshing, light sleep
6. Poor memory
7. Irritability,  personality changes
8. Morning headaches
9. GERD (Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease)

Sleep Apnea is often linked to snoring. The following facts have been compiled by several sleep medicine groups:

1. About 30 million (1 in every 8) Americans snore.
2. Snoring individuals have a higher likelihood of developing sleep apnea
3. About 18 million Americans have sleep apnea.
4. Men over age 65 have a 28% chance of suffering from sleep apnea.
5. Up to 50% of people who have sleep apnea also suffer from high blood pressure.
6. Sleep apnea increases the risk of stroke and heart attack.
7. Daytime sleepiness is a side effect of sleep apnea.
8. Special dental appliances can improve and often prevent sleep apnea episodes.
9. Insurance specialists estimate that sleep disorders add about $15.9 billion to healthcare.

In 2004, football great Reggie White passed away. It has been reported that sleep apnea contributed to his death. Experts now believe that OSA is by responsible for a high percentage of on-the-job injuries and automobile accidents.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a serious, life threatening condition and Treatment is Critical! Physicians have been prescribing the continuous positive airway pressure “CPAP” machine for many years to help people with OSA. The Academy of Sleep Medicine has established new practice parameters which validate the effectiveness of dental appliances as a viable treatment for people who have mild to moderate OSA, or are unable to comply with CPAP treatment. Today, CPAP is still indicated for people with severe OSA. If someone is unable to tolerate the CPAP, an oral appliance may be used. In some cases the two may be used in combination to reduce the air pressure of the CPAP.

Oral appliances are a safe, effective, non-invasive treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnea and severe, chronic snoring. Special instruments are needed to determine if an oral appliance can help and also to determine where to reposition or stabilize the lower jaw, tongue to keep the airway open. There are many types of appliances and an examination will determine which will be the best treatment for you. Some are designed specifically for snoring while others treat both snoring and OSA. If it is determined that an oral appliance is the best treatment, you need to return for follow up visits so that your progress can be monitored and Dr. Jim can be certain that the appliance is doing what it is supposed to do.

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations? Use the following scale to respond to each question.

0 = never, 1 = slight, 2 = moderate, 3 = high chance of dozing.
Sitting and reading	0	1	2	3
Watching television	0	1	2	3
Sitting in a public place	0	1	2	3
As a passenger in a car for one hour	0	1	2	3
Driving a car stopped for a few minutes	0	1	2	3
Sitting & talking to someone	0	1	2	3
Sitting down quietly after lunch without alcohol	0	1	2	3
Lying down to rest in the afternoon	0	1	2	3
Total your score to determine your level of daytime sleepiness.		__________
Total of: 0 - 7... It is unlikely that you are abnormally sleepy 8 - 9... Average amount of daytime sleepiness 10 - 15... May be excessively sleepy, may want to consider medical attention 16 - 24... Excessive sleepiness; consider seeking medical attention

If you think you may be suffering from a sleep-related breathing problem, you need to seek professional help. Dr. Jim and his team can give you a preliminary test to help diagnose if you need a more in depth study. If you would like more information about this problem, please call the office at 231-744-6661.

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