Sleep Apnea
One in three Americans suffer from some sort of sleep disorder: Insomnia, Sleep Related Breathing Disorders (Obstructive Sleep Apnea - OSA), Hypersomnias – Narcolepsy, Circadian Rhythm Disorders, Parasomnias, sleep walking, terrors, Sleep Related Movement Disorders, or sleep jerks, sleep talking. An estimated 87 million people snore and over half have OSA. OSA is measured by the number of times a person does not breathe or has reduced airway flow in a given hour while asleep. This is called the Apnea-Hyponea Index (AHI). An Index less than 5 is considered mild sleep apnea, where 5-15 times is considered chronic.
Below are potential medical conditions associated with OSA:
1. Cardiovascular: Increased risk of systemic hypertension, medication resistant
hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and heart attack.
2. Brain: Stroke, Brain damage, cognitive dysfunction and headaches.
3. Metabolic: Diabetes, glucose intolerance and obesity
4. Systemic: GERD, depression, impotence and psychosocial
5. Death
Red words have over 85% association with OSA
Following are some of the symptoms that one can experience that are associated
with OSA: excessive daytime sleepiness, poor memory, clouded intellect,
performance decrement, depression, accident prone, increased appetite,
exercise intolerability
OSA can be related to enlarged tonsils or adenoids or increased size of the tongue
and the relaxation of the musculature in the throat area. There are multiple types
of treatment from extensive surgery to C-pap machines or oral appliance as shown
above. A diagnostic sleep study is necessary for diagnosis. A trained physician
will then determine the best course of treatment. These specialists are usually
ENTs, pulmonologists or Neurologists.
If you cannot tolerate the C-pap machine, you may be good candidate for a custom mouth appliance that could either compliment the CPAP or substitute the CPAP. Talk to your physician. With a prescription from your physician, your appliance could be covered by your medical insurance. A decided advantage of the sleep apnea oral appliance is that it's very comfortable for most people without having to be attached to a machine. It's also much more compact for traveling.
We serve the San Gabriel Valley Cities of Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Claremont, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, El Monte, Glendale, Glendora, City of Industry, Irwindale, LaCanada, Flintridge, La Puente, La Verne, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Pomona, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South El Monte, South Pasadena, Temple City, Tujunga, Walnut and West Covina.
(877) 475-1970 301 West Huntington Drive, Suite 217 Arcadia, CA 91007 Email Us
©2011 Peter S. Young, DDS, F.A.G.D. dba Premier Dental Esthetics
All Above Appliance Available in our Office.
PETER S. YOUNG, DDS, F.A.G.D.
Dental Sleep Medicine
Call Us for an Appointment Today!
877-475-1970
301 West Huntington Drive, Suite 217, Arcadia, CA 91007
