Recent Study Maps Sleep Problems by State

More than 20 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, including the potentially deadly condition obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A recent study focused on which states’ residents suffer most from sleeplessness.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine reviewed nationwide data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that citizens of southern states—particularly Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana—experience particularly high rates of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue. Residents of western states—notably California, Montana and Oregon—report lower occurrences of daytime fatigue and sleep disturbances. The results of the study were published in February in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Although regional sleep studies have been conducted in the past, this recent research led to the first state-by-state U.S. sleep maps. The findings of this study conform with other studies that indicate states with higher rates of sleeplessness are also states that have increased rates of medical problems such as obesity and heart disease.

The new analysis of national data did not reveal why residents of certain regions of the country tend to sleep better than others, researchers said the study lays the foundation for deeper examination of potentially corresponding factors such as weather, sunlight patterns, demographics, race and healthcare access.

“We should begin to use this data to track patterns of poor sleep and try to understand why these patterns occur,” said Dr. Michael A. Grander, a research associate for the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at Penn and lead author of the study. “Sleep is such an important part of overall health, we need to do everything we can to help give a good night’s sleep to those in the highest-risk regions.”

If you suffer from sleep apnea symptoms, a qualified dentist may be able to diagnose the source of your condition and recommend an effective treatment option.

Please contact us to locate a dentist experienced with sleep disorder treatment near you.

Years of Headache Pain. I Hate having headaches. I will try anything.

Marsha:

I have headaches off & on for years. I used to have migraines but they are not so bad now. plus the medicatations got so expensive I couldn't afford them. Now they are just a constant pain like a vise queezing my head most of the time. I hate having headaches. I will try anything to get rid of them. I would like some information about your practice please! Dr Shapira's response:

My office is located in Gurnee, a northern suburb of Chicago. I have been treating Headaches, TMD, Sleep Disorders, Myofascial Pain and related disorders for over 30 years. I utilize numerous approaches for long term problems including Neuromuscular Diagnostic Orthotics, TENS, SPG blocks

(sphenopalatine ganglion ), trigger point injections, spray and stretech and postural corrections.

I having been helping patient's with chronic headaches related to the Trigeminal Nervous System. Each patient is quite unique but there are many similar aspects as well. I tell my patients to expect 50-80% improvement but I cannot guarantee success. As we progress thru treatment we continually seek an additional 50-80% improvement. THERE IS NO CURE! YOU ARE PERMANENTLY CHANGED FROM LIVING IN PAIN FOR YEARS. A CURE WOULD BE A DO-OVER ON ALL YOU LOST DUE TO PAIN.

I AM INTERESTED IN IMPROVING YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE MOVING FORWARD. It is unfortunate that so much of your life has been adversely effected by your pain. I look forward to improving your future quality of life.

I find that seeing long distance patients must be properly planned to avoid excessive visits to my office. I prefer to see patients first thing Monday morning and then Monday afternoon, Tuesday AM and PM and Wednesday AM before you return home. This necessitates coming in Sunday night before the appointment.

Each case if different and unique and I request you complete and extensive history before your appointment as well as a 1 hour phone consultation. I limit new long distance patients to two per month maximum.

The cost of the phone interview is $250.00 which will be applied to the treatment fee of $6900.00 if you are accepted as a patient. It is also possible to come in for a consultation but normally no time is set aside for treatment therefore in will mean extra travel.

Please call for an appointment at 847-623-5530 or I will have a team member contact you.

I do not meet the minimum requirment for sleep apnea.

Barbara:

I'm not getting enough sleep. I've had sleep tests, but do not meet the minimum requirment for sleep apnea. Dr Shapira response:

This is a common problem in younger healthier patients and female patients in particular. When the original definitions for Sleep Apnea and Hypopnea were developed only old obese men were looked at. It is not uncommon for women to have UARS or upper airway resistance syndrome, or disturbed sleep from sleep disordered breathing that does not meet the definitions for sleep apnea.

This is frequently as little as 1/10 of 1 % of a drop in oxygen saturation. This may be why you "do not meet the minimum requirment for sleep apnea." There are many other possible scenarios for disturbed sleep as including restlesss legs, bruxism, sleep phase disorders and Alpha intrusion into Delta Sleep.

This is frequently an insurance problem, ie treatment of sleep disordered breathing with an oral appliance or CPAP might vastly improve your quality of life, health status, longevity and ability to function and enjoy life but you do not qualify for insurancce benefits.

I advise patients to follow thru with treatment to improve their life if they can budget it into their life.

Project Aims to Raise Global Awareness of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

We All Snore in the Same Language is a recently launched project intended to raise global awareness of the health risks associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Snoring is the primary symptom of OSA, a condition that has been linked to an increased risk for high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease, among other medical problems. We All Snore in the Same Language was started by SnoringIsn’tSexy.com and its affiliate Quietsleep, which advocate for the use of custom-made oral appliances in the treatment of sleep apnea.

The project grew out of a review of 2011 visitor data and sleep apnea treatment inquiries, which revealed that the website was visited by people from 192 countries on all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica). OSA is thought to affect approximately 20 million people in the United States alone.

The We All Snore in the Same Language campaign emphasizes that OSA can occur regardless of a person’s gender, race, religion or nationality. SnoringIsn’tSexy.com plans on compiling a YouTube video of people from around the world admitting “I snore too” in their native languages.

Although the project is designed to have fun with snoring as a symptom of OSA, its primary focus is to create awareness about the potentially deadly risks of sleep apnea and encourage people who suffer from chronic snoring and other OSA symptoms to seek diagnosis and treatment.

If you believe you or a loved one suffers from the symptoms of sleep apnea or another sleep disorder, please contact us to locate a dentist in your area who is qualified in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea and other breathing-related sleep disorders.

National Sleep Awareness Week Stresses Risks of Inadequate Sleep, Sleep Apnea

National Sleep Awareness Week, which runs from March 5-11, is an annual educational campaign intended to promote the importance of sleep and the risks associated with inadequate sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, yet nearly 40 percent of adults report regularly sleeping less than seven hours per night. Tens of millions of Americans lose sleep due to the potentially deadly sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and in recent years National Sleep Awareness Week has increasingly focused on health hazards associated with OSA and other sleep disorders.

A sad reminder of the dangers of sleep apnea arrived early during the current National Sleep Awareness Week, when the family of a man who died in 2010 at a sleep center while undergoing testing for OSA filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Atlanta’s Emory Sleep Center.

In January 2010, Brandon Harris was undergoing overnight OSA assessment when the camera in his room captured the 25-year-old in distress and calling out, “Am I dying?” Harris died before medical treatment was administered.

Like many others with OSA, Harris suffered from other health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy. However, there are an increasing number of effective sleep apnea treatments, which can be prescribed by experienced dentists and other physicians.

To further emphasize how the loss of even minimal sleep can impact your life, National Sleep Awareness Week ends with the beginning of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 11, when most Americans are especially conscious of losing an hour of sleep.

If you believe you or a loved one suffers from the symptoms of OSA or another sleep disorder, please contact us to locate a dentist in your area who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

Military Veterans Gain Access to Provent Sleep Apnea Treatment

Although the Provent nasal device for sleep apnea treatment received approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008, Ventus Medical—the company that manufactures Provent—began a more aggressive marketing push last year after published reports in The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine and the peer-reviewed journal Sleep indicated the effectiveness of the product.

As the popularity of Provent grows and more insurance companies agree to cover Provent as a viable treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—the most common and dangerous sleep disorder—the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Ventus Medical announced a multiyear contract in February that would grant veterans with OSA access to Provent treatment.

According to Ventus, it is thought that one in five veterans has OSA, a rate four times higher than the general population. Although many veterans diagnosed with OSA had access to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment, a significant number of those who try CPAP abandon the treatment due to the cumbersome masks, hoses and airflow gear.

Provent, which is available only by prescription, works by placing adhesive-backed ovular devices at the base of your nostrils prior to going to bed. The disposable devices feature a valve design that creates pressure when you exhale, allowing your airway to remain open.

Although there are numerous sleep apnea treatment options, it is important to note that no single treatment is right for everyone who suffers from OSA. If you experience sleep apnea symptoms, it’s important to consult with a physician or dentist qualified in sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment to find the best solution for your specific condition.

Please contact us to locate a dentist in your area who is qualified to diagnose and treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.