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.