Want some more sobering statistics?....People with Sleep Apnea are hospitalized 2.8 times more often. It can play a serious role in diabetes, stroke, weight gain, and hardening of the arteries. It can have enormous effects in decreased work performance, sex drive, and irritability. Consider the implications of the sleeping behind the wheel statistic: it means that as many as 4% of drivers may be falling asleep while driving at least once a week!

Obviously, this is a MUCH bigger problem than anyone ever imagined, even 10 years ago. Even now 30 – 50% of snorers have sleep apnea and do not know it.

We have a great deal more information on our webpage specifically for "Sleep Disorders", so after you finish this article, use this link to find out more!


So just what causes OSA?

Your breathing can become blocked hundreds of times every night when there is a narrowing of your airway (perhaps from even slight weight gain among other factors) and a loss of muscle tone in the throat leading to increased collapsibility of the airway. This means that for hours at a time, you are not getting normal amounts of oxygen into your bloodstream. The problem comes  when during the day, your body struggles to function without enough saturated oxygen in your blood. The struggle creates a domino effect of other problems.

Additional signs of problems related to OSA

- Spouses and partners sleeping in separate rooms

- Excessive daytime sleepiness, especially in the afternoon

- Strained relationships

- Fragmented, light sleep that does not refresh

- Cloudy intellect or poor memory

- Irritability or personality changes

- Decreasing sex drive or impotence

- Morning headaches

- Gastric reflux

Do all snorers have OSA?

No, some snorers can be classified as 'primary snorers'. Their snoring is only a social problem and it works much like the purring of a cat. But there is no way to tell if you have 'primary snoring' or OSA without a professional evaluation. Again,if you answered positively to 3 or more of the questions at the opening of this article it is important for you to learn more about yourself and this topic.

The sleep state is a very, very complex system. It can be altered and upset by a great number of sources, (too complicated to discuss here.) Consequently, there are many different remedies. There is no 'one size fits all' remedy. The quickest way to well being is a proper exam and diagnosis

Keep in mind that OSA is usually a condition that cannot be 'cured', but it can be treated. It is similar to the way vision problems can be treated, (but not cured,) with the use of eye glasses. Treatment for OSA will probably involve an ongoing therapy.

Following a professional 'sleep study' in a sleep clinic, the use of the CPAP is frequently recommended for most patients. A CPAP basically involves learning to sleep with a mask on that puts constant positive air pressure into the patient's airway, thereby preventing it from collapsing. Many people say that within days after using the CPAP their lives have been transformed – energy restored, moods elevated,and mental sharpness returned.

What about TV or drugstore remedies that say they will eliminate snoring? Unfortunately, most often they are a waste of money at best, and at worst, they may do more damage than good. There are 85 types of Anti-Snoring Devices on the market. Only 2 are designed in congruence with science from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine – an official specialty of medicine since 1996.

- It has two separate pieces (upper and lower) that only touch in the front

- It has several mechanisms that allow the patient to make adjustments in jaw position.

- It must be made of durable hard plastic that can be cleaned daily and will not distort.

For patients with OSA, mouth appliances should not be the first step.Even the best mouth appliances should only be used in mild to moderate patients who have had a professional exam and diagnosis. They may also benefit people who have tried very hard to use a CPAP but failed to be able to make it a part of their nightly routine.

Many spouses fear that a loved one can die from OSA. To my knowledge, this is almost impossible. When a person stops breathing during the deepest parts of sleep, the oxygen deficit is recognized by the brain after 10 seconds or so, and the person is jolted (by signals from the brain) to wake up suddenly, just enough to take a gasping breath. The problem with this of course is that the snorer never gets into a normal restful sleep state. They are "woken up" dozens and dozens of times each hour so the restorative benefits of sleep never occur. Dire health problems involving the kidneys, diabetes, liver, heart attacks and stroke can cause death as a consequence of OSA.

If you or a loved one are a snorer by age 35 and have a family history of any of the following 4 conditions, it is even more important that you look into being tested for OSA.

25% of OSA patients have cardiac ischemia

50% of OSA patients have high blood pressure

40% of persons with a stroke have OSA

40% of persons with a heart attack have OSA

Bottom-line:

It's easy to joke about snoring problems within a family, or put off testing for sleep apnea. But the people whose lives will be saved by a CPAP machine will never be saved by a simple mouth appliance from the drug store or TV. A CPAP machine can change your life and/or the life of a loved one. If you can't learn to live with that, then a "Silent Night" mouth appliance may be the next best thing. See a sleep medicine specialist or come in for a visit if you think you may have OSA.

At Fiddlehead Dental, we can schedule you for a specific exam, as a sleep disorder patient (not a dental patient) and simply explore this matter with you. If we determine that you may be suffering from OSA, we will refer you to a sleep specialist for a detailed 'sleep study' to determine exactly what is causing your problem, and then treatment options can be discussed.