Sleep Apnea Breaks Hearts!
Learn more about sleep apnea, the warning signs, and most importantly how to treat sleep apena without uncomfortable masks or surgery.
Everyone is familiar with one of the most prevalent symptoms of sleep apnea: Snoring! Did you know that there are stories of relationships ending over snoring? Just do a search for #snoringisntsexy and you’ll see. How heartbreaking that sleep apnea, which is treatable, is causing relationship problems.
Of even greater concern is the real threat to our patients’ health and lives, and the impact that sleep apnea can have on a healthy heart. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic disease that afflicts nearly 30 million men and women in the U.S., and most remain untreated.
Sleep apnea involves the repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep. It puts an enormous strain on your heart by repeatedly causing oxygen levels to drop and blood pressure to surge as you sleep. This causes the heart to have to work much harder and can lead to heart disease and many other problems.
Untreated Sleep Apnea more than Doubles the Patient’s Risk of Dying from Heart Disease.
What are the risks specifically? SleepEducation.org came up with a great acronym (H.E.A.R.T.S.) to remind us that sleep apnea can create an increased risk for:
H – Heart Failure or “Congestive Heart Failure”
E – Elevated or High Blood Pressure
A – Atrial Fibrillation (where the heartbeats out of rhythm)
R – Resistant Hypertension (where the blood pressure doesn’t respond well to drugs)
T – Type 2 Diabetes
S – Stroke
What are the Warning Signs of Sleep Apnea?
It’s important to be aware of the warning signs of sleep apnea, so watch out for these and don’t ignore sleep apnea symptoms:
- Snoring
- Gasping or silent breathing pauses
- Headaches
- Insomnia or daytime fatigue
“How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” – Non-Surgical Treatment
Treatment doesn’t have to be a nightmare of noisy machines and uncomfortable masks. Many people elect to forego treating their sleep apnea because they don’t like the masks and have concerns about surgery.
The best news about sleep apnea is that it can be treated, even cured, by increasing the airway with non-surgical treatments like the special appliances we make here at Birth & Fletcher!
Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation with us! Dr. Sheila Birth and Dr. Cristi Fletcher are members of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) and has had extensive training in being able to treat snoring and sleep apnea with Oral Appliance Therapy. Protect your heart – and remember, we offer non-surgical alternatives to CPAP machines! Our practice does this with 3D modeling of your airway and a special appliance made just for you to ensure many more nights of sleep and happy hearts for everyone!
