Ringing in the Ears or Tinnitus? You Could Be a Victim of the Great Impostor.

Many people experience an occasional ringing in the ears, but for some this phenomenon becomes persistent and may even lead to a reduction in productivity, an increase in irritability, and a general decrease in one's quality of life. In seeking treatment, people may see some of the best experts in the field of medicine, but still find no relief, despite many years and much money spent on numerous treatments and medications.

Why can something so simple be so hard to treat? Because it is often due to what is known as temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), one of the hardest conditions to treat because it masquerades as so many other things. If you look at a partial list of the symptoms, you can see why. In addition to tinnitus, symptoms for TMD include:

· Headaches

· Facial and/or sinus pain

· Earache

· Dizziness

· Shoulder, neck, and other muscle pain

· Sleep disorders

· Irritable bowel, abdominal pain, and gastric reflux are often associated secondarily

Looking at the symptoms, it's easy to see why TMD can be confused with one or more other illnesses. If you have tinnitus or any of these other symptoms, and your doctor has been unable to provide relief, you should consult with a neuromuscular dentist. These specially-trained dentists specialize in treatment of TMD and its related symptoms.

Dr. Ira Shapira, founder of the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center, is a neuromuscular dentist who can provide relief for TMD and its symptoms. Please contact him today to schedule a consultation.

The Effectiveness of the SomnoDent MAS

The SomnoDent MAS (Mandibular Advancement Splint) is a relatively simple oral appliance for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea. It is manufactured by the SomnoMed corporation. Compared to both CPAP and most other oral appliances, it represents a minimalist solution to the problem of snoring and sleep apnea. The SomnoDent consists of two pieces that are custom-fitted to the teeth of the patient. One piece has flanges that fit into pockets in the other piece to maintain the jaw in an appropriate position during sleep.

Although it is a minimalist solution, it is highly effective. Objective studies showed that 63 % of patients treated with the device saw complete cessation of clinical obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (reduction of apneic events to less than 5 per hour) or a 50 % improvement in their apnea/hypoxia index, a measure of blood oxygen levels during sleep. This includes mild, moderate, and severe sleep apnea sufferers. Studies also showed that SomnoDent users saw an increase in REM sleep, and a reduction in waking.

SomnoDent also improved snoring. On average, snorers saw a 43 % reduction in the number of snores per hour. The snoring was also quieter. Both the average snoring volume and the maximum snoring volume were reduced by 3 decibels.

Subjectively, 83 % of SomnoDent users said they had "significant improvement" in snoring, sleep quality, and reduction of daytime sleepiness. Its ease of use meant that 86 % of patients reported using the device every night. And the combination of comfort and effectiveness led 96 % of patients to say they would continue using SomnoDent MAS.

Because it is a minimalist solution, SomnoDent also has the benefit of being less expensive than other snoring and sleep apnea treatment options. If you would like to learn more about this inexpensive and effective treatment option, contact the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center in Gurney, Illinois, today for a free initial consultation.

How to Correct the Sinus and Ear Pain of CPAP

Many users of CPAP complain about frequent sinus and ear pain. This pain can be the result of the positive pressure being forced into the otolaryngal cavity.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the relaxation of soft tissues in the throat, which then collapse, constricting the airways. CPAP works by forcing enough air pressure into these airways to keep them open. However, air pressure cannot be selective. It fills the entire otolaryngal cavity, which means that the same pressure that is holding your airway open is pushing against your ears and your sinuses. This can lead to sinus pain and ear pain.

CPAP can be compared to carpet bombing an entire city to root out one nest of radicals, while in many cases what you really need is a targeted solution, a "smart bomb" that goes right to the source of your obstructive sleep apnea and leaves the rest of your airway alone.

For many people, oral appliances are that smart bomb. By correcting the actual obstructive configuration of tissues, oral appliances are a targeted therapy that corrects your sleep apnea without the collateral damage left by CPAP.

Stop fighting so hard against your sleep apnea that you do more harm than good. Instead, contact the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center today to learn how you can fight smart and sleep better without sinus and ear pain.

Study Provides Objective Evidence for Benefits of Chiropractics

People are split on chiropractors. There are those who believe they are quacks and those who believe they are skilled medical practitioners capable of providing lasting relief to serious medical conditions. Patients have long been able to describe and voice the benefits they receive from going to the chiropractor, but objective measurement of these benefits has been difficult to obtain.

However, a recent study shows that adjusting the atlas, the top cervical vertebra, can lead to a significant decrease in blood pressure, one of the dangers of sleep apnea. The decrease was the equivalent of taking a double dose of prescribed blood pressure medications. Chiropractors who have eschewed full-spine adjustments in favor of delicate manipulations of the atlas vertebra see this finding as a vindication of their approach.

In a different study, it has been shown that neuromuscular dental treatment can help adjustments of the atlas vertebra to stay in place. Because the alignment of the atlas depends almost exclusively on soft tissue, including muscles and ligaments that can be affected by TMD.

To learn more about how neuromuscular dentistry can increase the effectiveness of your chiropractic treatments, contact Dr. Ira Shapira, neuromuscular dentist, at his Gurnee, Illinois office.

Treat Headaches without Medication Using Neuromuscular Dentistry

The first thing most people do for a headache is go to the medicine cabinet to take an aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. However, all medications produce side effects, and these medications are no exception. Aspirin side effects include bleeding in the brain, kidney failure, and increased risk of stroke. Acetaminophen has been shown to be very bad for the liver, and ibuprofen is an NSAID, in the same class of medications as Vioxx, which was pulled from the market because of it increased risks for heart attack and stroke. As a result, it is wise to seek non-drug relief from chronic headaches.

Instead, consider neuromuscular dentistry. The trigeminal nerve, or dental nerve, accounts for half of all input into the central nervous system, and it controls the front 2/3 of the meninges (membranes) that control blood flow to the brain. Because of this role in controlling blood flow, the trigeminal nerve can be blamed for many chronic headaches.

Neuromuscular dentistry, by relieving pressure and dysfunction of the jaw, has, among other effects, the ability to improve the function of the trigeminal nerve.

To learn more about how neuromuscular dentistry can relieve your suffering from chronic headaches, contact Dr. Ira Shapira at his Gurnee, Illinois office.

Meticulous Cleaning Essential for CPAP

One common complaint among CPAP users is that they get sinus and ear infections. They are more likely to suffer bronchitis than the general population. The constant mucous surplus created by your body in an attempt to fight against infection can be almost as disruptive as the sleep apnea that CPAP is designed to cure. These infections are the result of exposure to the micro-organisms that breed on the mask and hose of the CPAP machine. With daily use, the CPAP machine can host a dangerous menagerie of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that feed on the skin, mucous, and oils from your body that accumulate on the mask.

Then, once these populations have been breeding all day, the CPAP machine becomes a delivery system that pushes them inside your body. The positive airway pressure makes sure these micro-organisms are forced throughout your otolaryngal cavity. The inside of your ears, your throat, even your lungs are all seeded with a breeding population, making it highly likely that the populations will take hold. This is made even more likely as a result of the drying of your mucous membranes that can be a side effect of CPAP treatment.

To avoid the dangers of the CPAP machine, it is essential that you maintain an impeccable cleaning routine for the mask and hose. It is often advisable that you have several sets of hoses and masks so that you can rotate them and clean them in soap and water and completely dry them between uses.

Another option is the use of oral appliance therapy, which not only fosters less in the way of bacterial and other micro-organismal populations, but is easier to clean, and, even if it becomes populated, does not give these infectious disease organisms a free ride into your lungs. Most people prescribed CPAP therapy can actually get as good or better results from oral appliance therapy, without this health-threatening side effect.

To learn more about how oral appliance therapy can be healthier than CPAP, contact Dr. Ira Shapira at the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center today.

Dr. Shapira to Team with Other Sleep Expert to Provide Care in Bannockburn

Dr. Shapira has been treating people for sleep apnea in the Chicago area from his Gurnee office for over 25 years, and will soon extend the same high quality care to more patients through his partnership with another sleep apnea expert.

Dr. Alex Golbin is the founder of Sleep and Behavioral Medicine. He is a well-known expert on children with sleep disorders, and has written the only textbook on Sleep Psychiatry. He maintains three offices on the North Shore, in Vernon Hills, Skokie, and Bannockburn, all accredited by the Academy of Sleep Medicine. At these state-of-the-art offices, Dr. Golbin treats sleep apnea, insomnia, and bedwetting in children. He also coordinates a number of advanced research projects through his Vernon Hills office, constantly advancing the state of sleep medicine.

The hope is not only that this cooperative effort will not only give patients in the North Shore better access to advanced sleep medicine, but by sharing ideas, experience, and practices, the doctors will be able to improve the treatment of sleep disorders for all their patients.

If you are suffering any of the symptoms of sleep apnea, please contact the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center today for a free initial sleep apnea consultation.