You’ve heard the saying, “You snooze. You lose.” With some people, it’s more like, “You snore. You gain.” Studies show a link between BMI, or body mass index, and sleep apnea, a prevalent sleep disorder affecting more than 18 million adults in the United States. Sleep apnea therapy from Dr. Pamela West, sleep dentist in Las Vegas, treats the harmful effects of snoring so patients rest and have better overall health.
Sleep Apnea and Who Gets It
Sleep apnea is characterized by a very noticeable symptom–extremely loud snoring. While bothersome to family members, snoring also is a serious sign that the individual’s airway is blocked by soft tissues in the back of the throat. Vibration and oxygen deprivation result. In addition, sufferers wake up gasping for breath several times a night and may exhibit co-occurring problems such as:
- Daytime drowsiness
- Headaches
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Memory and concentration problems
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Type-2 diabetes
Besides simple Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, some people suffer from Central Sleep Apnea, or CSA, in which the individual’s respiratory system does not receive signals from the brain, and breathing ceases episodically. Some people have a combination of the 2 kinds of sleep apnea.
Unfortunately, more than 30 percent of individuals who are overweight or obese have this potentially harmful sleep problem. The National Sleep Foundation characterizes sleep apnea and body weight as a vicious cycle: if you are heavy, you tend to snore, and if you snore, you tend to gain weight.
Medical research also pinpoints other predisposing factors for sleep apnea:
- Large neck circumference
- Being male
- Age over 40
- Family history
- Smoking
- Abuse of alcohol or tranquilizers
- Sinus and allergy problems
- Excess tissue at the back of the throat–e.g. Enlarged tonsils
- Family history
Evaluation for and Treatment of Sleep Apnea
People who suspect they have sleep apnea should consult their primary care physicians who may, in turn, refer them to a sleep specialist for in-office or at-home sleep monitoring. Physicians diagnose sleep apnea based on presenting symptoms, on measured vital signs and on episodes of breathing cessation while being monitored.
Many patients with OSA or CSA benefit from CPAP therapy. This involves wearing a facial mask during the night. The apparatus delivers a constant flow of air which essentially holds the airway open. Some people have difficulty adjusting to CPAP machines, however, and may benefit from oral appliance therapy as their form of sleep apnea treatment in Las Vegas.
Dr. Pamela West of iSleep Solutions offers 3 kinds of innovative oral appliances which, used singly or combined with CPAP, reposition the jaw and/or tongue so the airway remains open. For many people, these customized “snore guards” from respected companies such as SomnoDent, Herbst and Narval, are the only intervention needed for effective sleep apnea therapy.
How Can We Help You?
If your weight fluctuates and your family says you snore, why not take our online sleep quiz? It can help you, and sleep dentist, Dr. Pamela West, decide if you suffer from sleep apnea and its related weight issues. Or, simply contact iSleep Solutions today for a personal consultation with one of the Top Dentists in Greater Las Vegas. A member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. West can help you sleep better and have good overall health, too.