Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep disordered breathing. Other sleep disordered breathing may come from upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) and even snoring. Snoring is often seen with both UARS and OSA.

Sleep Apnea occurs when there is a constriction in the airway when you are asleep. Snoring may be a precursor to apnea events. When there is a significant constriction in the airway, there is oxygen desaturation. This causes your heart to work harder to pump the same amount of oxygen through your blood. Over time, the heart muscle becomes strained and you’re at risk for heart attacks, strokes, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary stress. Furthermore, when the brain does not receive it’s needed supply of oxygen, it causes arousal to wake you or return you to lighter sleep. These arousals prevent you from getting a deeper and more restful sleep. This is the kind of sleep that replenishes your energy and helps maintain your body’s regulatory systems. If your body’s regulatory systems are not controlled, you are at risk for diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and weight gain. Weight gain is one of the risk factors for sleep apnea. It’s a vicious cycle! Recent research has shown that the cerebrospinal fluids are being flushed and cleansed during deep sleep. Persons with sleep apnea have been shown to be at greater risk of memory loss.

Medical specialists frequently prefer CPAP – an air pump that delivers pressurized air through the mouth and nose inflating the crowded airway. This treatment has proven effective, however, it may be difficult to tolerate and discontinued by patients due to its cumbersome nature, claustrophobia, skin and eye irritation, and comfort.

An MRD [Mandibular Repositioning Device] treats the crowded airway by guiding your lower jaw into a more forward and open position, therefore, keeping the tongue out of its air-blocking position.

Sometimes, lifestyle changes may be appropriate. Come in for a consultation so we can help you with your needs.

We would like to help you sleep better and live longer. Our ultimate goal is to provide you and those around you, an improvement in your quality of life. We look forward to the consultation and evaluation to assess how our treatment may help you.

Dr. Lee is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. He has worked many hours with sleep physicians to help their mutual patients receive the care they need. We are also medically contracted with insurance plans to assist in OSA therapy. Go to our specialized site www.endsnoring.com for more details!