Do you snore or know someone who does? It may be a sign of a more serious condition known as obstructive airway disease or sleep apnea. The three main warning signs of obstructive sleep apnea are:
· Loud, persistent snoring
· Pauses in breathing, accompanied with gasping episodes when sleeping
· Excessive sleepiness during waking hours
People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. In most cases the sleeper is unaware of these breath stoppages because they don’t trigger a full awakening.
Stopping to Breathe is Serious
Left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious and life-shortening consequences: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, gastric reflux, headaches, automobile accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s, and other ailments.
Sleep apnea is seen more frequently among men than among women, particularly African-American and Hispanic men. A major symptom is extremely loud snoring, sometimes so loud that bed partners find it intolerable. Other indications that sleep apnea may be present are obesity, persistent daytime sleepiness, bouts of awakening out of breath during the night, and frequently waking in the morning with a dry mouth or a headache. But none of these symptoms is always present. Only a sleep study in a sleep laboratory or a home sleep study can show definitively that sleep apnea is present and how severe it is.
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. With each apnea event, the brain rouses the sleeper, usually only partially, to signal breathing to resume. As a result, the patient‘s sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.
Sleep apnea is very common, as common as type 2 diabetes. It affects more than 25 million Americans, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of 40, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and health care professionals, the vast majority of sleep apnea patients remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.
Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotence, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated.
Who can help me find out if I have Sleep Apnea?
Health professionals trained in identifying the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea can help determine if you are at risk. Your primary care physician, a sleep physician, or a dentist can help you with identifying your risk. Usually a sleep test can be prescribed, which can be done at home or at a sleep lab. If you snore and have no obstructive breathing, a dental device can be made to stop the snoring. If you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, which must be diagnosed by a sleep physician, a dental device can be used or continuous positive air pressure (CPAP). Your doctor or dentist can advise you what may work best for you.
If you suspect you or a loved one may have an obstructive airway disease, get help. Your life may depend on it.
Dr Craig P. Aebli, DDS, MS, FAGD is trained in treating patients for snoring and sleep apnea. He is located at Oakport Dental in Sanford, FL (407)323-5340, www.seminolesleepsolutions