What is sleep Apnea? Snoring is NOT cool!  We all have stories about someone we know who rattles the walls (maybe it’s you).  What you may not know is that it can be deadly. Classic snoring sound is caused by a partial obstruction of the airway in the back of the throat.  If you have heard a snoring person suddenly stop breathing, then gasp for air, you have witnessed an ‘apnea’.  These partial reductions and complete pauses typically last between 10 and 30 seconds. These pauses can happen hundreds of times a night, leading to abrupt reductions in blood oxygen levels. The brain alerts the body to its lack of oxygen, causing a brief arousal from sleep that restores normal breathing. The result is fragmented quality of sleep. Also, the heart rate and blood pressure increase dramatically. Now the problem is not just annoying, it is potentially life threatening.

What are the health risks?

Obstructive sleep apnea has been shown to: increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by 300-400%, increase blood sugar, complicate diabetes control, increase blood pressure and has been shown to decrease life expectancy by 10-20 years.  It can result in sudden death during sleep.

These individuals are at a higher risk of heart attack and stroke due to the fact that the entire body, especially the heart, is under high levels of stress during sleep, working overtime to pump more blood to the brain to compensate for the loss of oxygen.  This generally results in high blood pressure and the body generating two to three times the amount of plaque in veins and arteries, significantly increasing the risk of heart attack and strokes due to additional blockage caused by the plaque.

Additionally, the disrupted sleep pattern caused by apnea prevents a person from achieving recuperative sleep, which results in excessive daytime sleepiness, increased incidences in work and driving-related accidents, chronic fatigue and in some cases, depression.

Who's at risk?

Sleep apnea is a common, progressive disease, which affects a large segment of our population.  According to the Institute of Medicine of National Academies, an estimated 60-70 million people in the United States, including children, suffer from chronic sleep disorders and approximately 20 million have Obstructed Sleep Apnea (OSA).   Over 80% of these people are either undiagnosed or in denial.  Sleep apnea impacts both women and men, although it is more common with men. The number of people with apnea increases with age. For people 65 and older, apnea affects as many as 65%!

What are the symptoms?

There are a number of symptoms to look for, but the most common is moderate to severe snoring.  Nearly 50% of people who snore loudly have sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea often results in a feeling of excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue and a general lack of energy.  It is also highly correlated with morning time headache, migraine headache, depression, acid reflux disease and tooth grinding.  It has even been shown to decrease cognitive thinking ability over time. 

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea:

• Snoring
  
• Non-restful sleep
  
• Excessive daytime fatigue
  
• Morning headaches
  
• Migraine headaches
  
• Clenching/grinding teeth
  
• Acid reflux disease
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Heart attack
  
• Stroke
  
• Depression
  
• Diabetes
  
• Memory loss
  
• Obesity
  
• Decreased sex drive
  
• Neck sizes of 16” or greater in women (increased risk)
  
• Neck sizes of 17” or greater in men (increased risk)

Drowsy driving.

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine is raising awareness among about the dangers of untreated obstructive sleep apnea.  This sleep disorder has alarming healthcare and economic risks, which requires attention.  Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common symptom of OSA.  It can increase a person’s risk for deadly motor vehicle accidents by 15 times!

Motor vehicles accidents due to “drowsy driving” account for $48 billion in medical costs each year.  Sleepiness in today’s workplace causes another $150 billion in lost productivity and mistakes.

Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving.  Current legislation recommends that commercial drivers get screened and treated for sleep apnea.  But there are many non-commercial drivers at risk as well.