Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Approximately 25 million
adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can cause them to
stop breathing hundreds of times a night for anywhere from a few seconds to
more than a minute. OSA is a chronic condition that occurs when our muscles
relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to collapse and block the airway. As a
result, repeated breathing pauses occur, which reduce your oxygen levels. These
breathing pauses are followed by brief awakenings that disturb your sleep.
Common signs of OSA include snoring and gasping or choking sound during sleep.
Like snoring, OSA is more common in men, but can occur in women too, especially
during and after menopause. Untreated OSA raises your risk for serious health
problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, chronic acid
reflux, and erectile dysfunction.
How is OSA diagnosed?
A doctor must determine if
your snoring is a sign that you have OSA. A physician who is a sleep specialist
can provide you with a complete sleep evaluation. This may involve either an
overnight sleep study at a sleep center or a home sleep apnea test. The sleep
doctor will interpret the data from your sleep study to make a diagnosis.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Continuous Positive Airway
Pressure (CPAP) is the traditional medical treatment for obstructive sleep
apnea. CPAP requires a mask, over the nose and mouth, connected to a hose that
blows air to it from a constantly running machine. Although CPAP is effective
in treating OSA, many patients find it uncomfortable, noisy, and difficult to
travel with.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliance therapy (OAT)
is another treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and can be an effective
alternative treatment to CPAP. Administered by a dentist, oral appliance
therapy uses a custom-fit “mouth guard-like” device worn only during
sleep to maintain an open, unobstructed airway. The type of appliance is best chosen after an
examination and consultation with a dental specialist.
Did you know there are
thousands of dentists trained to help treat and manage your snoring and sleep
apnea? The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) is an association
of dentists who help patients control obstructive sleep apnea and snoring
through the use of oral appliance therapy (OAT). If you have trouble tolerating
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and need an effective alternative
for living with sleep apnea, call us to today to schedule an appointment and
learn more about how OAT can help you get a good night’s rest.
For more information visit: www.aadsm.org
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
The following is an Epworth
Sleepiness Scale which can be used to assess daytime sleepiness. This can be
helpful in determining if an individual is attaining adequate amounts of
restful sleep.
How likely are you to doze
off or fall asleep in the following situations, in contrast to felling just
tired? This refers to your usual way of life in recent times. Even if you
haven’t done some of these things recently try to work out how they would have
affected you.
Use the following scale to
choose the most appropriate number for each situation:
0 = would never doze
or sleep
1 = slight chance of
dozing or sleeping
2 = moderate chance
of dozing or sleeping
3 = high chance of
dozing or sleeping
It is important that you
answer each question as best you can.
Situation
Sitting and reading_________________________________________ 0 1 2 3
Watching
TV_____________________________________________ 0 1
2 3
Sitting, inactive in a
public place (e.g. a theatre or a meeting)______ 0 1
2 3
As a passenger in a car for
an hour without a break______________ 0
1 2 3
Lying down to rest in the
afternoon when circumstances permit_____0
1 2 3
Sitting and talking to
someone_______________________________ 0
1 2 3
Sitting quietly after a
lunch without alcohol______________________0
1 2 3
In a car, while stopped for
a few minutes in traffic 0
1 2 3
Total Epworth Score_______
Understanding your score
0-10 Normal range in healthy adults
11-14 Mild sleepiness
15-17 Moderate sleepiness
18 or higher Severe sleepiness
If you scored 11 or higher
consider seeing a sleep medicine specialist to diagnose and treat the cause of
your sleepiness.
