Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is when the airway collapses during sleep, blocking the flow of air to the lungs. Trying to continue to breathe causes the airway to restrict even more. Eventually the brain “wakes up” to a lighter level of sleep in order to reposition the jaw and tongue to open the airway—usually causing a gasp or a snort. Then the process starts all over again. Obviously, being suffocated many times per hour will result in a less than restful sleep.
Sleep is broken into 4 main stages:
Stage 1: Transition. This should account for roughly 5% of total sleep time.
Stage 2: Light Sleep. This should account for about 45% of total sleep time.
Stages 3&4: Deep Sleep. This is when the body heals itself and performs many important reparative functions. One should ideally get about 25% deep sleep. Lack of phase 3&4 sleep may cause physical fatigue.
REM: Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. This is when dreams occur and the brain takes care of reparative functions – similar to defragmenting the hard drive on a computer. REM should account for about 25% of sleep time. Lack of REM sleep may cause mental fatigue and concentration difficulties.
Sleep Apnea is also considered a risk factor for several serious health problems, such as:
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
Sleep Apnea also affects children. This could be due to the child having enlarged tonsils that obstruct the airway. Just like in adults, often snoring is a sign of an obstructed airway. Some of the problems common in children that have been linked to sleep apnea include:
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
- Mood Disorders
- Bed Wetting
- Problems Learning
- Growth Problems
Recent research has linked Sleep Apnea to many disorders and health issues where no other clear cause could be determined. These include:
- Depression
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) and Heartburn
- Morning Headaches
- Impotence
- Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
- Chronic Pain
Sleep Apnea may also have adverse affects on the bed partner of the afflicted. If you think you or someone you know may have Sleep Apnea, please ask us for a referral to a qualified sleep specialist in your area or talk to your primary care doctor. Treating Sleep Apnea can add more life to your years and more years to your life!
Possible Treatment:
The “gold standard” therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. Although CPAP is usually very effective at treating OSA, there are many patients who are not able to tolerate its use. If you have tried CPAP but have given up on using the therapy due to any number of reasons, an oral appliance may be for you.
Oral appliance therapy has become a widely used and excepted method of treating sleep disordered breathing. There are multiple appliances available based on specific treatment needs. Oral appliance therapy for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disordered breathing problems is usually covered by your medical insurance!
Snoring
Snoring is often a symptom of Sleep Apnea or upper airway resistance syndrome. However, sometimes snoring is not a symptom of more serious problem and just a plain nusicance; in that case there are certain oral appliances that can be used to quiet the noise! Dr. Spencer and Dr. Murphy have brought many a couple back to the same bedroom by eliminating snoring.
Dr. Spencer and Dr. Murphy recommend evaluation by a knowledgeable sleep specialist, ENT or neurologist prior to any treatment for snoring.
Since snoring is currently viewed as a “cosmetic” issue by insurance companies, your insurance will usually not help with the cost of your care.