Sleep Apnea Treatment

How far do you dive while you sleep? Let your dentist help you with that!

By this provoking question, we would like to highlight the fact that many daytime problems, fatigue, sleepiness, hypertension, vascular accidents – are in fact taking their origin during our sleep. They are the consequences of respiratory troubles while sleeping called obstructive sleep apneas (OSA). Their manifestations are respiratory stops followed by noisy snoring.

Snoring and sleep apnea are common breathing problems that can affect your sleep, health and the quality of life. Often, snoring and sleep apnea come as a package, caused by changes in your upper airway while you sleep. Your airway may narrow, limiting airflow as you breath; it may vibrate, commonly heard as snoring; or it may collapse, so you stop breathing.

This third type of change is called an obstructive apnea, and may last for 10 seconds or more. Your airway may even through all three stages.

• 1 adult in 4 snores regularly
• 2 to 4% of the adult population in western countries suffers from obstructive sleep apnea

Scientific studies on severe sleep apnea patients showed the following increased cardio-vascular risks:

• 3.3 times more likely to have sudden death or a stroke.
• 2.9 times more likely to develop arterial hypertension.
• With regard to road safety, a study showed that an untreated apnoeic was up to 15 times more likely to have a traffic accident. Horstman S. et coll. Sleep. 2000 May 1;23(3):383-9.

Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by frequent complete (apnea) and partial (hypopnoea) occlusions of the pharynx. These apneas and hypopnoeas lead to oxygen desaturation in the blood and sleep arousal events. The sleep arousals disrupt the sleep cycle leading to a sleep of poor quality for the patient.

The first consequence of O.S.A. is the disruption of the sleep cycle and leads to daytime somnolence and fatigue. This somnolence can be responsible for traffic accidents or at the workplace as the patient falls asleep. This disruption of the sleep cycle may also lead to:

• Lower concentration capability
• Diminished intellectual performances
• Depression and social isolation
• Sexual dysfunctions

The second type of consequences are linked to oxygen desaturation or hypoxia. Studies have shown that O.S.A. is an important risk factor for cardio-vascular pathologies including: Hypertension, Stroke, Infarction.

A mandibular advancement device is an oral appliance that maintains the lower jaw in forward position during your sleep. This mechanical protrusion widens the pharyngeal area and reduces the obstruction phenomenon. Numerous clinical studies have proved the efficacy of custom-made mandibular advancement devices in the treatment of snoring as well as mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Significant improvement has also been shown on associated symptoms such as daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

What Happens When You Sleep?

Sleep apnea can be a serious sleep disorder. People who have sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night. If you have sleep apnea, the periods of not breathing may make you wake up from deep sleep. If you are waking up all night long, you aren't getting enough rest from your sleep.

When you stop breathing during sleep, and the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood is upset. This imbalance stimulates the brain to restart the breathing process. The brain signals you to wake up so that the muscles of the tongue and throat can increase the size of the airway. Then, carbon dioxide can escape, and oxygen can enter the airway. These waking episodes are necessary to restart breathing (and to save your life), but because of them, you become sleep-deprived.

Sleep apnea has serious health consequences and can even be life-threatening. The main effects of sleep apnea are sleep deprivation and oxygen deprivation.

Sleep Deprivation

Both the person with sleep apnea and the bed partner suffer from sleep deprivation. A bed partner may lose an hour or more of sleep each night from sleeping next to a person with sleep apnea. Along with the apnea episodes, the person afflicted with sleep apnea may have additional trouble sleeping caused by side effects of the condition, including a frequent need to get up and urinate during the night, and excessive night-time sweating.

Oxygen Deprivation

Some trickle-down effects of sleep deprivation are a compromised immune system, poor mental and emotional health, irritability, and slower reaction time, among other problems.

With proper sleep apnea treatment, you can beat the negative health effects of sleep apnea. Following successful treatment, patients are alert, active, have a higher metabolism, more energy & system functions can completely return to normal.

Don't Let Sleep Disorders Rob You From Your Needed Rest!