What is it?
Poor sleep can increase chronic pain, and chronic pain can cause poor sleep. Children who sleep poorly are often hyperactive during the day and adults who sleep poorly are often tired during the day. “Sleep Apnea” sometimes spelled sleep apnoea (also known as S.A.) is a syndrome which leads to the airway being blocked during sleep. When the airway is blocked we are not able to breath properly. What can cause this? …anything that makes your airway more narrow, see below.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
When looking into treatments for sleep apnea (also spelt sleep apnoea), it is important to think about the issue in terms of “Correction of the cause or causes of the sleep disorder.”A sleep study will usually be carried out to assess severity and cause. Breathing / Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment
- Those who have an ear, nose, throat (E.N.T.) blockage such as large tonsils or adenoids can have them *removed
- *Sleep apnea surgery is involved
Jaw Positioning Sleep Apnea Treatment
- Those who have a jaw position problem can wear a simple removable dental appliance to hold the jaw in a forwards position.
- Also orthodontics can correctjaw positions.
- Weight Loss / Exercises Sleep Apnea Treatment – Those who are simply overweight can exercise and eat healthily to reduce the fatty tissue deposits around the airway.
Causes of Sleep Apnea
Anything that makes the airway narrow:
- E.N.T. (ear, nose and throat) blockages – can obstruct the flow of air through the nose.
- Lower Jaw Position – if the lower jaw is too far back, the tongue (which is connected to the lower jaw) will obstruct the airway behind the tongue.
- Obesity - People who are overweight will have an excess of fatty tissue deposited around the airways, causing narrower airways and so will be more likely to have air flow problems.
- Mode of breathing - it is now becoming apparent that in some people, simply learning how to breathe smaller volumes of air in the daytime, may improve how they breathe at night. This is still controversial in more traditional medical circles as there are little or no scientific trials to show it. However, many patients have improved symptoms, less snoring and reduced apnoea levels after retraining. For more information about this visit BreatheAbility.com or SleepingAllNight.com. Also Buteyko.info to help find a practitioner who may be able to help you.
Dangers of Sleep Apnea
- Nothing good happens when breathing stops! The heart and lungs have to work harder to pump oxygen around the body. This can lead to heart failure.
- There is also research saying that it can cause brain damage.
- Sleep apnea is something that can kill you as it can increase blood pressure and cause heart disease.
- Studies show that only a small percentage of people with sleep apnea have been diagnosed
- There are many people going to sleep every night without an adequate supply of oxygen.
- If you snore regularly there is a good chance that you have some level of sleep apnea.
- Sleep apnea can kill you
Severe Sleep Apnea
When all else fails, or if the sleep apnea is severe, a CPAP machine can be used. What is a CPAP machine you ask? (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) This is like a reverse vacum cleaner – it forces air at high pressure down the airways helping the patient to get adequate amounts of oxygen into their lungs. There are difficulties for some patients with CPAP. These are:- You have to sleep with a mask over your face
- You have to find space for the machine
- Some machines can be quite noisy
- The air which is forced across the teeth and gums before it reaches the airways dries the mouth and can be uncomfortable.(The dryness can damage teeth and gums)
Sleep Apnea Remedies and Solutions
So in closing, if the problem is not too severe, a much better solution may be simply breathing retraining or a sleep apnea dental device like a Mandibular Advancement Splint to hold the jaw forwards during sleep. When the jaw is forwards the tongue moves with it and so the tongue no longer blocks the airway. Of course, if there is an underlyingENT issue, an ENT specialist may advise removal of the offending tissues.
VIDEO: Throw Away Your CPAP & Start Living!
Disclaimer: May not be possible in all cases as everyone’s case is different.
TMJ and Sleep Apnoea
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Patient…
In the above video (click link to watch on youtube), you can easily see the jaw thrusting back and forth as this lady tries to keep her airway open during breathing problems at night…. The result is tooth grinding, worn down teeth and of course, the more important problems of elevated blocs pressure and heart problems resulting from poor oxygenation.
At DentalBraces.com.au we believe sleep apnea may be caused by breathing too much air (increased Minute Volume) and may be best corrected by breathing retraining methods such as those used by Buteyko. See SleepingAllNight.com for more information. Also www.BreatheAbility.Com and www.buteyko.info
Find out more…
- Click here for info on Sleep Apnea Treatments
- Read About Mouth Breathing Treatment
Questions?
- Get in touch? Contact an FJO Dentist or Email Us Here
