Sleep Apnea
Do You Have OSA?
Advances in dental research continue to save Americans $4
billion a year.
If you suspect you have OSA, we encourage you to talk to your
dentist immediately so you can receive the best care; your dentist
will help coordinate the best treatment plan and help you determine
the causes of your OSA. The best way to be sure you have OSA is with
a sleep test. The following list of symptoms and self-test are
provided to support and not replace the existing relationship
between you and your dentist.
Seven Symptoms of OSA
Following is a list of seven of the common symptoms of OSA.
- Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
- Frequent Snoring
- Heavy/Loud Breathing during sleep
- Observed Apneas during sleep
- Restless Sleep
- Frequent Headaches
- Low Energy/Lack of Concentration
Epworth Sleepiness Scale - Test Yourself
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is used in coordination with
other tests to determine severity of Sleep Apnea. This self-test is
for your information, and does not replace the testing your dentist
will conduct.
Use a scale of 0-3 to indicate the chance you will fall asleep in
each situation, then find out what your score means:
Scale
0-will never doze
1-slight chance of dozing
2-moderate chance of dozing
3-high chance of dozing
Situations
___Reading While Sitting
___Watching Television/Movies
___Inactivity in a public place (beach, theatre, meetings)
___Sitting as a passenger in a car (one hour without a break)
___Laying down during the day
___Sitting and talking with someone
___Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol
___In a car, stopped in traffic for a few moments
Score
A score higher than 6 suggests you have a daytime sleepiness
problem; talk to your dentist right away. If you scored 6 or under,
your sleep is considered normal. It is important to note that if you
scored below 6, you may have SDB. If you suspect you have OSA, it is
important to talk to your dentist for information on the next steps
to take for diagnosis.
Risks to Your Health
Your overall health is at risk when OSA is untreated. Studies show
that people with SDB show higher instances of these heath problems:
- Increased link to diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Congestive heart failure
- Vascular damage
- Early Death
- Depression
When patients are diagnosed and treated early, the risks of
long-term health problems significantly drop. Contact your dentist
for more information on diagnosis and treatment for your Sleep
Disordered Breathing.
Symptoms
Now that you're familiar with OSA and SDB, you can see how it
presents itself in some obvious ways. There are several symptoms
that are harder to identify, so we've given you a list of common and
uncommon symptoms below. If you feel that you experience any of
these symptoms on a regular basis, you should talk to your dentist
to seek help, and to find out what you can expect from the
treatments your dentist has available for you.
- Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
- Frequent Snoring
- Heavy/Loud Breathing during sleep
- Observed Apneas during sleep
- Restless Sleep
- Frequent Headache
- Low Energy/Lack of Concentration
- Insomnia
- Parasomnias (sleep walking, night terrors)
Causes
Some of the common causes of OSA and SDB are listed here. Men are at
a higher risk of having SDB.
Do you have any of these common causes of OSA? Your dentist will
evaluate you for these potentially life threatening causes of SDB.
- Structural abnormalities in the nose, throat, or upper airway
paths
- Extra tissue in the back of your throat (a large uvula or large
tonsils)
- Some facial characteristics can impact SDB
- small or recessed chin
- thickened back portion of the tongue
- excess soft palate tissue
- high, arched or narrow hard palate
- Excessive weight or a large neck
- Family history of OSA
- Use of Alcohol and Sedatives
- Smoking
- Chronic congestion
How can your dentist help you? Dentists trained in Dental Sleep
Medicine provide treatment plans to alleviate SDB.
Helpful solutions you can perform yourself are:
Treatments provided by your dentist include oral appliances,
therapeutic treatments and sometimes surgery.
UARS - Why You're Sleepy All the Time
Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) is a condition where a
person frequently experiences daytime sleepiness, but doesn't show
the usual symptoms of more severe Sleep Disorders. UARS sufferers
wake frequently during the night, may snore but often go
undiagnosed, which over time can lead to SDB. The main difference
found in patients with OSA and UARS, is the amount of blockage of
the airway during sleep, UARS patients don't experience Apnea like
OSA sufferers do, which is why UARS can sometimes be missed when
diagnosing a patient. Women tend to be more prone to UARS than men.
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