PBS Feature on Sleep Apnea Neglects Oral Appliance Therapy

PBS' NewsHour is one of the most respected in-depth news programs on television. Known for its long investigative pieces that daily delve into important news stories, these reports give vital minutes to stories that receive only seconds of attention even from 24-hour news networks. Therefore, a recent feature, first aired on August 13, was a vital opportunity to educate and inform Americans about the potentially deadly effects of one of our nation's most underdiagnosed conditions: sleep apnea. For the most part, the story, which used a narrative focus on a number of patients to explore the risks, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep apnea, did its job of being informative.

The story showed three men, one who was just being diagnosed with sleep apnea, one who was getting ready to begin treatment for sleep apnea, and one who had been undergoing treatment with CPAP successfully for three years. The man prepared to begin treatment was fitted with a CPAP mask, and openly expressed his distaste for the machine. The story revealed that CPAP treatment only works for about 25 % of patients, and that the man who was fitted with the CPAP mask didn't feel he had slept any better with it than without it.

However, the story failed to give any mention to CPAP alternatives, such as oral appliance therapy. Oral appliance therapy is not for everyone, but neither is CPAP, and with the potentially deadly effects of sleep apnea, people need to be informed of all their options so they can find the treatment that works best for them.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are trying to undergo treatment, but are finding that CPAP just isn't working for you, schedule a consultation with the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center in Gurnee, Illinois today.