Occupational Medicine And Sleep Apnea Treatment. Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace.

This blog entry is a a reprint of a recent press release about Slee Apnea and Occupational Medicine

Occupational Medicine is acutely aware of the importance of Sleep Apnea Treatment. Occupational Medicine Physicians recognize that poor CPAP compliance is a major problem for patients health and workplace safety.

A recent article "Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS): The role model of the Occupational Health Physician in specific clinical cases." (see PubMed abstract below) in Clin Ter. 2010 May-Jun;161(3):269-72 recognizes the importance of sleep apnea treatment in optimal health and as an ntegral part of Occupational Medicine.

The article states " they ( sleep apnea) are involved in reduction of working performances and increased risk of work accidents". Successful treatment is extremely important and CPAP is failing in that role. CPAP is extremely successful when it is used but recent studies show 60% of patients abandon CPAP use completely and even those patients who use CPAP average only 4-5 hours of daily use.

Oral Appliances are accepted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a first line approach to treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea. Dr Ira L Shapira a Chicago Dentist and Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine has created the website http://www.ihatecpap.com to spread the word about Dental Sleep Medicine and about comfortable Oral Appliances that most patients prefer to CPAP.

Dr Shapira treats patients in Chicago, Chicago Suburbs, Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. He works with accredited sleep labs across the Chicago metropolitan area.

Patients who desire oral appliance therapy should contact Dr Shapira at 1-8-NO-PAP-MASK OR THRU HIS WEBSITES.
http://www.chicagoland.ihatecpap.com/
http://www.delanydentalcare.com/sleep_apnea.html
http://WWW.IHATECPAP.COM
http://www.IHATEHEADACHES.org

Sleep apnea is a serious disease that can severely endanger your health and the safety of your workplace. CPAP while effective fails the majority of patients. Oral Appiances may be the first line treatment best accepted by patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea.

Clin Ter. 2010 May-Jun;161(3):269-72.
[Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS): The role model of the Occupational Health Physician in specific clinical cases.]
[Article in Italian]

Proietti L, Sciacchitano C, Strano S, Scifo N, Rapisarda V.

Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Patologie Sistemiche, Sezione Medicina del Lavoro, Università degli Studi di Catania, Italia. proietti@unict.it
Abstract
Nowadays Sleeping disorders are a very interesting topic in Occupational medicine, they are involved in reduction of working performances and increased risk of work accidents (in work environment or while driving). Medical surveillance made from the Occupational Health Physician can be very helpful in early diagnosis of this kind of disease; during 2008 we fi nd out Obstructive Sleeping Apnea Disease (OSAS) in some Healthcare workers. We reported some clinical cases that show the role model of the occupational health physician in this kind of sickness. Our Experience shows the duty of Occupational health physician it's not limited to medical surveillance, but also to Health Promotion (as wrote in D.Lgs 81/08). This can be obtained by clinical and occupational solutions, like correct work shift planning and lifestyle changes; so the interest of the occupational physician have to be focused on introducing in medical surveillance also measures of health promotion regarding sleep disorders with the aim of preserving health condition in workers.

PMID: 20589361 [PubMed - in process]

Dr Shapira is the founder of I HATE CPAP LLC that promotes awareness of the dagers of sleep apnea and value of Dental Sleep Medicine.

Dr Shapira is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and founder of Chicagoland Dental Sleep Medicine Associates. He is a former Assistant Professor at Rush Medical School's Sleep center and has been involved in research and treatment of sleep apnea with oral appliances since the early 1980's. Dr Shapira also founded I HATE Headaches LLC and the website www.ihateheadaches.org. He has several device and/or method patents on collection of stem cells from the jaws and developing wisdom tooth buds.

Dr Shapira is the Dental Section Editor of Sleep and Health Journal and has chaptered a chapter in a bmedical textbook on Anti-Aging Medicine.

Delany Dental Care was founded in 1984 as a general dental practice with special emphasis on treating sleep apnea, snoring, headaches, migraines and Temporomandibular (TMJ) disorders.