TMJ
/ Bruxism....Stop Snoring
Sleep Apnea
- Snoring
Sleep Disordered Breathing
Sleep Apnea is a dangerous and
progressive sleep disorder which gets worse as you age.
About 3 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea.
Most cases are diagnosed by spouses or loved ones. Snoring
is annoying and interrupts your bed partner’s sleep, which
in turn can affect your relationships.
Undiagnosed severe obstructive
sleep apnea can be life-threatening and cause a heart
attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest during sleep. There
is also a risk of auto accidents and accidents at work.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Is
your snoring keeping others awake?
- Do you wake up tired in the morning?
- Is your snoring causing your partner to become short
fused?
- Do you suffer from headaches?
- Is your snoring creating less time in bed and more time
on the couch?
- Do you experience acid reflux?
- Suspect or have High Blood Pressure?
- Have beginning signs of Insomnia?
- Do you perspire during sleep?
- Become awakened by gasping or choking?
- Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is defined as labored
respiration during sleep caused by airway obstruction.
If you suffer from sleep disordered
breathing, as you fall asleep you experience a loss of
muscle tone called airway patency. You repeatedly stop
breathing, or experience shallow breathing during sleep.
This could happen as often as 300+ times a night.
The soft tissues in your airway
relax against the tongue, partially cutting off air flow
to your lungs. Sleep disordered breathing can be severe
to the point of complete airway collapse where your airway
gets sucked closed.
Those who suffer from sleep disordered
breathing experience breathing difficulty ranging from
mild to acute: snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome
(UARS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is
defined by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
as a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions
during sleep…repeated periods of no breathing for at least
10 seconds at a time. These periods are called apenic
events and can last up to two minutes.
Risk Factors Include:
* Snoring
* Getting older
* Family history
* Weight gain
* Bruxism (teeth grinding)
* Progesterone/Estrogen deficiency
* Anatomy and physiology of the airway
* Small Jaw, Thick Neck (greater than 17” males, 16” females)
* Malformation of the orofacial area (misaligned teeth,
jaw, palate)
* Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
* Menopause
Popular Treatments
The CPAP Mask
A common treatment for treating breathing disorders incorporates
the use of a mask that is strapped onto the head at bedtime.
Made of plastic, it completely covers the nose and mouth
and is connected to a machine with an air hose. This device
has become commonly referred to as a CPAP Mask.
Airway Orthotics
A custom fitted ora appliance device, prescribed by your
sleep apnea dentist. The appliance is similar to an an
athletic mouth guard, but is usually much more comfortable
to use. These appliances allow maximum airway capacity.
It gently holds your jaw in the correct position to maintain
proper airway flow as you sleep.
Surgical Intervention
These treatments are usually considered invasive and irreversible.
They can include:
Many of these irreversible breathing disorder treatment
alternatives include:
- Tonsillectomy - Removal of Tonsils
- Adenoidectomy - Removal of Adenoids
- Tracheostomy
- Gastroplasty
- Nasal surgery
- Radiofrequency palatoplasty
- Maxillomandibular advancement
- Tongue base suspension
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) - removal of excess
throat tissue to widen the airway
Understandably, the most conservative treatment should
always be considered. Contact a Sleep Apnea specialist
to obtain the diagnostic information you may need for
determining if mask devices or airway orthotics can help.
