Snoring and Sleep Apnea in the News
Posted on July 6, 2009 7:56PM in Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Today, CNN.com covered a story about how snoring may be a danger sign of a more severe condition known as sleep apnea. It is good to see sleep apnea shown in a national spotlight. It is a often misunderstood condition.
Sleep apnea is a condition where a person’s regular breathing patterns are interrupted during sleep. This condition can range in severity from slight disruptions in the breathing pattern to severe disturbances where the person can stop breathing for a matter of minutes.
It is estimated about 18 million U.S. adults have sleep apnea. Because some symptoms manifest themselves when a person is asleep, many do not know they have sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea’s effects are far reaching and go beyond the causal annoyance of a partner.
Serious sleep apnea side effects:
- Physical and mental exhaustion
- Elevated risk of heart attacks, heart failure, and arrhythmias
- High blood pressure
- Greater chances of stroke
- Depression, hypertension, and ADHD
There are several existing treatment options for snoring and sleep apnea, but we have found in cases with mild to moderate sleep apnea, many patients can be successfully treated by using oral appliance therapy. Whether it is for your own snoring relief, or the relief of your partner, treating sleep apnea can improve your overall well-being.
Dr. Mark Kleive is highly knowledgeable on oral appliance therapy as an alternative to using CPAP for snoring. Call him at 651-776-7645, or send him an email to find out what treatment is best for you based on your mouth anatomy and the severity of your sleep apnea.
