Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Millions of Americans Suffer from Sleep Apnea without Knowing It; Dental Sleep Medicine Offers Effective Treatment Options


Recent weeks have brought an abundance of new studies and awareness efforts focusing on the dangerous health effects of sleep apnea.

Millions of Americans suffer from sleep apnea, particularly the potentially deadly form known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which has been linked to an increased risk for depression, stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease among other problems. Yet despite increased awareness of sleep apnea and its hazards, as well as a growing number of effective treatment options, many who suffer from sleep apnea are not even aware they have the condition.

Consider the recent story about an Indiana school bus driver who crashed while transporting more than 30 students. The driver—who was fired the day after the crash—had been a school bus operator for six years without incident.

Using video images from the bus and interviews with students, school officials determined the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The driver acknowledged a recent diagnosis of sleep apnea after suffering daytime sleepiness for more than a year.

Those with sleep apnea can adversely impact others’ lives as well as their own. It is important to acknowledge symptoms of sleep apnea and seek diagnosis and treatment.

Dental sleep medicine is a rapidly growing field, and there are a number of custom-made oral treatment options for sleep apnea that do not require the use of cumbersome continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices.

If you or a loved one suffers from chronic snoring or other symptoms of sleep apnea, please contact IHateCPAP.com to locate a qualified sleep dentist near you.

http://www.ihateheadaches.org/