It has been estimated that 90 million people in North American have breathing problems leading to snoring and sleep apnea. Snoring is not just a social nuisance, it is a serious health risk. Cardiovascular disease is the number two cause of death in North America and patients who suffer from snoring and sleep apnea have a higher incidence of heart attacks and strokes due to high blood pressure as a result of lack of oxygen.
Snoring occurs when the tongue partially blocks the airway when the patient sleeps on their back and sleep apnea occurs when the tongue completely blocks the airway. Both situations are harmful since the patient is deprived of oxygen.
Some patients actually stop breathing for 30 seconds or more, many times each night. These patients wake up several times at night gasping for breath. When they are deprived of oxygen they have problems getting to sleep, wake up frequently at night, have morning headaches, loss of memory, ear aches, grind their teeth at night, and find it difficult to concentrate.
· Do you snore?
· Are you overweight?
· Are you tired during the day?
· Are you approaching or going through menopause?
· Do you have hypertension?
· Do you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux?
· Do you have morning headaches?
· Have you been told that you stop breathing or hold your breath while you sleep?
· Are you still tired and irritable in the morning even though you slept through the
night?
· Have you noticed your heart pounding or beating irregularly during the night?
· Have you suddenly awakened gasping for breath during the night?
· Do you toss and turn frequently?
·Do you sometimes doze off during the day?
Daytime fatigue is the number one sign and results in an increase in industrial and traffic accidents. Many patients are prescribed CPAP units that consist of an air compressor that forces air up the nose in order to open the airway. While these are effective and necessary for patients with severe sleep apnea, the problem is that 80% of patients are non-compliant after one year. Patients much prefer to wear oral appliances that reposition the lower jaw and move the tongue forward, thus opening up the airway. Patients compliance with oral appliances is over 90%.