Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

So many patients and people I meet are asking me about sleep apnea that I decided to write a blog to tell as many people as possible about it.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, some form of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs in 90 million Americans.  Approximately 40% of Americans over the age of 40 snore, and half of them snore every night.  Among habitually loud snorers, the incidence of OSA is at least 17% in men and 15% in women.

An estimated 18 million Americans have OSA, and 16 million remain undiagnosed.  OSA is associated with higher risks for hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrilation, impotence, mortality, and behavior and cognitive problems.  Sleep apnea leading to escessive daytime hypersomnolence (sleepiness) may be responsible for many job-related injuries and it is estimated that people with sleep apnea are 10 times more likely to die in a car accident than someone without sleep apnea.

The only treatment for OSA used to be a continuous possitive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that forces air through the mouth to open the airway for better breathing.  Unfortunately, many people cannot tolerate the CPAP machine.  Objections to the CPAP range from feelings of claustrophobia, inability to move with the mask on, pain from the mask, difficulty of traveling with the CPAP machine, CPAP machine noise disturbing the sleeping partner,and many other reasons. 

We now can provide a wonderful alternative to the CPAP machine with an easy to wear oral appliance.  The appliance is called a mandibular repositioning appliance (MRA).  This remarkable apliance called a SomnoMed appliance, which was invented in Australia over ten years ago, has provided predictable relief for people who once suffered from snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea.

I, myself, used to suffer from snoring at night and moderate sleep apnea.  I was not at all aware of this problem.  My wife told me that I not only snored loudly and disturbed her sleeping, but also that I used to suddenly stop breathing for ten to forty seconds and then gasp and begin breathing again.  I was in total disbelief of this.  I am not the typical sufferer of either of these things.  I am thin and I am in pretty good shape.  So I took an overnight test, in my own bed, to see if what my wife reported was true.  I naively thought that she was wrong.

The test came back with the diagnosis of moderate sleep apnea and loud snoring.  I immediately had impressions and measurements made to have a SomnoMed appliance made for me.  Three weeks later, I used the SomnoMed appliance for the first time and have not snored or suffered from sleep apnea since that time.

I cannot stress enough the importance of being tested if you have been told you snore or you have felt overly tired after a sufficient night's sleep.  I have friends who have died suddenly of heart attacks overnight and others who have had car accidents when they were inattentive.  I don't want to see this any more.  And if you have been told you need a CPAP machine or you have a CPAP machine and you are not using it, this could well be the answer for you.

Please call the office 310-275-1188 and see if we can help you.  It could save your life or the life of someone very dear to you.   

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