Snoring and Sleep Apnea
The purpose of this page is to provide information about a condition that is affecting more people than current statistics provides.Breathing difficulty is something that many people in this country and other developed nations suffer. This fact is based on my clinical experience.
Specifically, snoring and sleep apnea means just that — flow of air is obstructed in the wind pipe. A person sleeps and everybody knows about it. We call that snoring.
A person sleeps and stops breathing. We call that sleep apnea. While both are manifestations of the same condition the latter is far more dangerous. Statistically, sleep apnea doubles the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Here is the website that describes sleep apnea in detail www.SleepApneaInfo.com. It is a medical website that has all the latest information on what sleep apnea is, on what it can do to you, and what can be done about it.
This website unfortunately lists dental intervention last. In the opinion of this author it should be the first or at least come second after diet modification.
Often times snoring and sleep apnea is a result of a structural change in the body. To read more on that topic please visit TMJ page.
Breathing difficulty can be very subtle and won't always end up as snoring or sleep apnea. Still, it can have disastrous consequences in one's life. Improved breathing has been shown to positively affect people with ADD, ADHD, autism, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, aggressive behavior, jaw joint pain, clenching and grinding of teeth, ear infections, depression, bed wetting, …and many others.
Here is a website that speaks volumes on breathing. www.Breathing.com
Here is a free test http://www.breathing.com/tests.htm that will let you know if you have this problem.
Here is another great site that will provide a set of exercises that may help you to stop snoring. www.Ijustwanttosleep.com
Sleep apnea really means that a person is choking 24/7. It is not an easy disorder to treat. Conventional medicine typically prescribes a night time ventilator and sometimes surgery. However, these treatments only lessen the symptoms and do not cure the underlying anatomical and physiological condition. This means that even during the day a person is unaware of having breathing difficulty and health is compromised. Fortunately, a dental appliance has been shown to be an excellent alternative to standard intervention. The ideal treatment, of course, would mean once it is over a patient is free from his doctor.
It is the ultimate goal of our office to make our patients not need us.
This website is for information purposes only. Viewing this site does not constitute a physician-patient relationship. The information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.