The word snoring conjures images of sleepless nights followed by the inevitable “shot” of caffeine to get us through the day. In reality this is a breathing related problem that can cause social problems for spouses and family. It can lead to embarrassment and inevitably denial of the problem. Despite its social stigma this problem affects as many as 90 million american adults.

When we are awake all the muscles in our body are tensed and therefore working. But as soon as we go to sleep all the muscles are told by the brain to relax. That is the precise moment when the tongue rolls backwards and the airway passage narrows. The narrower the space the more vibrations are made by the throat and voila, the louder we snore.

As simple as this explanation sounds it can also be a sign of a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea. It affects 18 million americans and it is characterized by loud heavy snoring followed by cessation of breathing for more than ten seconds. These episodes can happen many times per hour and hundreds of times during the night. The person that suffers from obstructive sleep apnea will not have any memories of these episodes.

Because of the diminished blood oxygen levels these individuals will be more prone to high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes and chronic daytime sleepiness. Obstructive sleep  apnea sufferers usually are, but not limited to, men who are 15 to 20 pounds overweight. It has also been found that family history, as well as bruxism, may increase the likelihood of  sleep apnea.

The diagnosis of sleep apnea has to be made by a medical doctor that specializes in sleep disorders. Our office, Dental Health Solutions, PLLC,  is equipped with the tools that can aid in identifying the condition and lead to treatment in conjunction with the appropriate specialist.  Once the patient has been classified with mild, moderate or severe apnea, the proper treatment is selected. The gold standard for treatment of sleep apnea is the continuos positive airway pressure mask. Although this is the most effective way of treating this condition its acceptance by patients varies. This is why the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has come to recommend oral appliances for managing snoring and sleep apnea where a patient is intolerant or refuses to wear the cpap.