It's Not Just Snoring
Heavy snoring, waking up frequently during the night, and daytime sleepiness and fatigue are the most obvious signs of sleep apnea. In recent years, medical researchers have realized that the impaired breathing during sleep that these symptoms indicate can have serious effects. Those can range from high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke to loss of mental acuity, brain damage, and accidents.
For example, researchers in Spain found that people with sleep apnea were 2.5 times more likely to suffer strokes, and seven times more likely to have traffic or workplace accidents than people with normal night time breathing.
While most sleep apnea patients are older, children can also suffer from the disorder. In children, sleep apnea can cause attention deficit, hyperactivity, and learning problems.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Many people suffer from sleep apnea for years before it is diagnosed. Sleep specialists make a definitive diagnosis by monitoring breathing, heartbeat, blood oxygen levels, and eye and body movements during the night, either in a sleep clinic or at home. Many people can suffer up to 30 episodes of apnea--impaired breathing--per hour, without realizing that they have a problem.
A sleep study can identify patients with mild, moderate or severe apnea, and differentiate between apnea caused by physical problems (obstructive apnea); by central nervous system problems (central apnea); or by both kinds of problems (mixed apnea).
Depending on the type and severity of sleep apnea, a variety of treatments have been developed. Some can be as simple as losing weight and avoiding alcohol, while others can involve surgery to restructure obstructed airways. In the United States, the most common treatment relies on use of a CPAP (for continuous positive airway pressure) breathing machine.
MAD for Mild to Moderate Apnea
In the last few years, dental researchers have developed a new treatment for mild to moderate apnea which is less invasive than surgery and which many people find more comfortable than a CPAP machine. Patients are custom-fitted with a mandibular advancement device (MAD), which pushes the lower jaw forward just enough to keep their airway open during the night.
Research at the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment Unit at the University of Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain, and elsewhere, has shown that use of a MAD to keep a patient's airway open is a safe and effective treatment option for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
"A newer alternative, the mandibular advancement device (MAD) alters certain characteristics of the upper airways, leading to improvements in people affected by snoring and by mild and moderate cases of SA [sleep apnea], making it the preferred treatment option for both disorders," the Spanish researchers write.
Many communities now have dentists who can diagnose sleep apnea, fit appropriate patients with MAD mouthpieces, and assess the effectiveness of the treatment.
Sources:
- "Snoring and sleep disorders: A dental approach to a major public health issue," University of Barcelona, May 15, 2011
- Alphagalileo.org, "Persons with sleep apnea have twice the risk of suffering stroke", Elhuyar Fundazioa
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice
Robert Adler - Robert Adler is a science and technology reporter and book author. He divides his time between Santa Rosa, California and Oaxaca, ...
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