Sleeping
Disorders OSA
Dear
Friends:
Both research and technology have allowed us to
understand the benefits of sleep to allow our
body to maximize our quality of health. Most of
us are not aware that Obstructive Sleep Apnea
is a life threatening medical disorder. The following
statistics make me take this area of sleep disorders
very seriously in our wellness based dental practice:
- Not
being treated for Sleep Apnea can reduce your
life span by 8 years
- Snoring
is pathological, contrary to previous belief
that it is normal
- A
study from University of California reported
that participants who slept more than 8 hours
or less than 6 hours experienced a significant
increased mortality rate (15%)
- When
you do not have 25% REM sleep, your learning/retention
ability decreases
- If
you snore, you produce less nitric oxide. Nitric
Oxide protects the lining of your coronary vessels.
Reduced levels of Nitric Oxide increase the
risk of heart failure
- Sleep
deprivation can cause depression, gastric reflux,
slow reaction time and in post-menopausal females,
weight gain
- 80%
ADD/ADHD diagnosed patients have a Sleep Apnea
problem
- Sleep
Apnea decreases our quality of life by making
us tired, irritable, depressed and more prone
to headache
- Mouth
breathing decreases oxygen intake by 20%
Some
of the consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Syndrome (OSA) on our cardiovascular system are:
- 25%
of OSA patients have cardiac ischemia
- 50%
of OSA patients have hypertension
- 40%
of people with stroke have OSA
- 40%
of people with a myocardial condition have OSA
The
effects of OSA on our neurocognitive system are:
- Excessive
daytime sleepiness
- Increased
motor vehicle accidents
- Increased
work related accidents and poor job performance
- Lower
threshold leading to depression
- Reduced
quality of life and increased family discord
(For
references on these statistics, please ask the
front desk staff)
We
have undertaken extensive training to help decrease
snoring and increase oxygen intake by opening
the airway with a variety of dental appliances,
dependant on the needs of the individual. This
treatment will only be undertaken once diagnosis
is made by your medical doctor through an attended
sleep study. A CPAP (continuous positive airway
pressure) machine is the recommended treatment
for OSA, however, if your Sleep Apnea is mild
or you cannot be compliant with a CPAP, then a
dental appliance or surgery may be other options.
We utilize a Pharyngometer and a Rhinometer to
measure your airway to help us know how we can
help you maximize the success of a dental appliance
in conjunction with a Watch PAT (an overnight
monitoring device to verify the efficiency of
the snoring device so that you can derive the
benefits of a good night sleep). Your sleep centre
doctor will then be able to further validate that
your airway and oxygen intake is maximized for
your quality of health.
Note:
80% of people suffering from Sleep Apnea are undiagnosed.
The
Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a pre-screening tool
to determine if you may suffer from Obstructive
Sleep Apnea. After filling out this form, if you
are interested in further investigation, we have
prepared letters for you to discuss this matter
with your family doctor.
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