Sleep Apnea

There are three types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea – This is the most common form. It’s the result of the obstruction of the windpipe leading from the nose or mouth to the lungs. The obstruction is usually the result of a narrowed airway, which becomes blocked by the tongue falling backwards or altered development of the skull bones. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is more prevalent with age and snoring also increases – which is the result of a narrowed or floppy upper airway.
• Central Sleep Apnea – This is uncommon and results when the signals from the brain that regulate breathing are disrupted in some way.
• Mixed Sleep Apnea – A combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

In sleep apnea, there’s total obstruction of the airway, whereas in snoring, there’s partial obstruction of the airway.

Sleep apnea is more common than asthma and is almost as common as diabetes. Four percent of men and 2% of women have the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea (6% overall). It can happen at any age.

• Children: The incidence in children is as high as 4%. Usually, it’s the result of enlarged tonsils, adenoids or of some craniofacial abnormality. Snoring can be the first sign to trigger further investigation.
• Adults: Apnea becomes more common in middle age. It’s more common in men than women, although after menopause, women may be at equal risk as they can lose some muscle tone around their airway.
• Overweight people: Being overweight can be a factor, particularly if you have excess fatty tissue around the neck. In people who aren’t overweight, it’s likely they’ve were born with a narrowed airway.
• Dental patients: Some people who’ve had several teeth extracted, such as for orthodontic treatment, can end up with a smaller arch for their mouth and a tendency towards a constricted airway.

Yes, there’s strong evidence that people with sleep apnea die prematurely from a heart attack, stroke, or car or work-related accidents.

Medical impact: Numerous studies show a relationship between patients with OSA and cardiovascular disease, with 57% of OSA patients suffering hypertension. That’s a strong connection!

Accidents: Patients with sleep apnea are more likely to fall asleep at inappropriate times and have a higher rate of car crashes and work-related accidents by a factor of four! That’s 4 times as likely to crash!

Social: Snoring and sleep apnea can be extremely irritating and cause relationship disharmony and family stress. It can be made worse by unexplained sleepiness, mood swings and lack of interest in family life.

Treatment is needed when you suffer more than five ‘breathless’ episodes per hour of sleep in the presence of symptoms, and higher than 30 regardless of symptoms. While lifestyle changes and surgery are options, the most successful treatment is often the use of a CPAP machine or a dental appliance. Careful diagnosis of the cause of the airway issue is key to success. Talk to us about your circumstances. We are specially trained to help you.

Lifestyle changes	CPAP machine	Dental appliance	Surgery
Lose weight	Uncomfortable	Comfortable	Painful
Avoid alcohol, caffeine or eating late	Unattractive and noisy	Travels easily	Non-reversible
Stop smoking	Irritates, eg, rashes	Non-invasive	Unpredictable result
Eliminate sedatives	Causes dry throat	Reversible	Recovery time
Sleep on your side and maintain regular sleeping patterns	Inconvenient and cumbersome for travel	Lifetime warranty	Side-effects may be permanent
Requires a lifetime commitment	< 50% of CPAP are worn on a nightly basis	10 of 11 patients chose Silencer over CPAP	Success may range from 30% to 50%