Submitted by Todd Gray, DDS, Koala Center for Sleep Disorders
There are many conditions associated with the presence of sleep apnea, including hypertension, heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and cancer. Sleep apnea is a medical condition that occurs when a person has shallow breathing or stops breathing during sleep. These episodes can last from a few seconds to minutes and may occur multiple times an hour. Normal breathing usually begins again with a loud snort or choking sound. There are different types of sleep apnea, but obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common. OSA occurs when the tissues in the back of the throat, including the soft palate and tongue, collapse into the airspace. The most common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring. The snore sound occurs as the tissues collapse, creating a vibration. Other symptoms include waking up gasping for air, daytime tiredness, morning headaches, difficulty staying asleep, irritability, and trouble concentrating. It’s important to note that symptoms vary from person to person.
It’s easy to understand why sleep apnea can have such a profound effect on a person’s health. As the airway is blocked multiple times throughout the course of the night, there is a decrease of oxygen that reaches the body’s organs, including the heart and brain. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, while stroke is number four. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a contributing factor for both conditions. The National Sleep Foundation says that, “The connection between sleep apnea and heart disease is evolving very rapidly. People with cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke have a high prevalence of sleep apnea. Whether sleep apnea actually causes heart disease is still unclear, but we do know that if you have sleep apnea today, the chance that you will develop hypertension in the future increases significantly. One of the problems in defining the relationship between sleep apnea and heart disease is that people with sleep apnea often have other co-existing diseases as well.”
If you are experiencing symptoms of either sleep apnea or heart disease, you may want to ask your physician for a sleep study. A sleep study is used to monitor your sleep stages while measuring brain activity, breathing patterns, heart rate, and oxygen levels. The results of the study will give the physician a comprehensive evaluation of your sleep and determine if treatment for a sleep disorder is recommended.
Treatment options for OSA include lifestyle changes, surgery, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and Oral Appliance Therapy. Once treatment opens up the breathing passages, blood pressure generally comes down quite rapidly. While CPAP is one of the most common treatments for OSA, Oral Appliance Therapy has proven to be an effective, scientifically based treatment alternative that patients may find more comfortable and easier to use. The purpose of the appliance is to hold the lower jaw in a forward position to prevent the tissues and tongue from collapsing in the airspace, eliminating the snoring and sleep apnea. If left untreated, sleep apnea can be a life threatening condition. Speak with your physician today if you have any signs or symptoms of sleep apnea.
For more information, contact Dr. Todd Gray at Koala Center for Sleep Disorders, 309-319-6568, or visit www.bloomingtonsleep.com. Their office is located at 2309 E. Empire St. in Bloomington. As a general dentist, Dr. Gray has dedicated his practice to the treatment of snoring, sleep apnea, and TMJ disorders with oral appliance therapy.
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