By Todd Gray, DDS, Koala Center for Sleep Disorders
Since retiring from professional football, Aaron Taylor, former offensive guard for the Green Bay Packers, has been working on increasing awareness of sleep apnea, a condition he knows all too well. Since beginning treatment for his Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Taylor has seen a huge improvement in his own health and well-being. He is working with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to see that other young male athletes are educated on the issue so that they can begin treatment early, play better football, and live longer lives. While OSA is quite common in football players, especially linemen, it is a condition that affects people of all walks of life. Men are particularly at risk, given that they are more than twice as likely to develop sleep apnea compared to women, according to the AASM.
OSA is a condition characterized by complete and partial airway obstructions, which can occur when the tongue and muscles relax during sleep, the lower jaw falls back toward the throat or the airway becomes blocked. A typical sequence of OSA occurs when a person stops snoring and is silent for seconds or minutes. The brain may cause the body to jerk in an attempt to wake the sleeper so breathing will resume. The silence may end with a loud snort, cough, or gasp.
This causes the sleeper to wake briefly and begin breathing. Once asleep again, the muscles relax and the airway becomes blocked again. This cycle can occur hundreds of times per night. Symptoms of OSA include choking or gasping during sleep, morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, and more. Men, especially, tend to experience loud and frequent snoring, which can interrupt not only their sleep but their partners’ sleep as well.
Risk factors for OSA include excess weight, high blood pressure, and a family history of the disorder. The AASM also notes that a neck circumference greater than 17 inches in men and 16 inches in women often indicates sleep apnea; the excess fatty tissue can put greater pressure on the neck and lead to a blocked airway. Another important risk factor that men should be particularly aware of is waist circumference. A 2008 study for Laryngoscope found a strong correlation between waist measurement and sleep disordered breathing. In fact, this study suggests that waist circumference could be more significant than both obesity and neck size in determining sleep disordered breathing.
Men who suffer from acid reflux and erectile dysfunction are also likely to have OSA. According to a National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll, adults who experience nighttime heartburn often reported having sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia, among others. Additionally, researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, who evaluated 870 men involved in a cardiac screening program, found that as the severity of erectile dysfunction increased, so did the chance of having OSA.
The good news is that by being diagnosed and finding the right treatment options, men and women alike can achieve better health and quality of life. A small 2013 study for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine even found that treatment of sleep apnea led to better performance in golfers with the condition.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of OSA, you may want to consider asking your physician for a sleep study. In a sleep study, doctors will monitor your pauses in breathing to determine whether or not you have OSA and, if so, how severe it is.
Treatment options for OSA include lifestyle changes, surgery, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and Oral Appliance Therapy. 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 jaw in a position that allows the airway to remain as open and firm as possible during sleep. Oral appliances are similar to athletic mouth guards but less bulky and completely non-invasive. Oral sleep appliances are covered by most medical insurance plans and Medicare.
For more information, contact Dr. Todd Gray at the Koala Center for Sleep Disorders, 309-319-6568. The office is located at 2309 E. Empire St. in Bloomington. Dr. Gray is devoted to the management of sleep-related breathing disorders, such as snoring and sleep apnea, with oral appliance therapy as well as conservative treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, headaches, facial pain, and teeth-grinding.
Photo courtesy of Koala Center for Sleep Disorders