SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING
Sleep is a time of dynamic healing and growth for the body's immune, nervous, muscular and skeletal systems. Without the restful effects of sleep, the body and mind do not function at their optimal levels. People with sleep related breathing disorders fight for air every night, this reduces oxygen levels to the brain and affects the quality of their sleep.
The office of Dr. Scott Tamura is dedicated to assisting you or your loved one in understanding the health risks caused by sleep related breathing disorders. Our goal is to help those who suffer get restful sleep through effective diagnosis and treatment.
While SNORING is usually associated with sleep apnea, there are people who have Sleep Apnea who DO NOT snore, and there
are people who snore who do not have apnic episodes during sleep.
Sleep Apnea Statistics
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that occurs when a person is unable to get oxygen into their system while sleeping. Periods of apnea tend to last 10 seconds or longer, and often leave the afflicted person gasping for air. Most times the person won’t even wake up (even though they are gasping for air), these are called “Micro Arousals”. Here are some statistics regarding this surprisingly common affliction.
1. Sleep apnea is prevalent in as many as an estimated 18 million Americans alone. This statistic denotes that approximately 1 in every 15 Americans, or 6.62% of the total American population have a case of sleep apnea.
2. Two to four percent of all Americans have an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea. This accounts for approximately 1 in 50 individuals being undiagnosed.
3. People that are afflicted with sleep apnea face a steep increase in chances of being part of a traffic accident. Due to the sleeplessness and lack of ability to concentrate that are associated with apnea, sufferers are six times more likely to die in a car accident. As a matter of fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has stated that drowsy driving is responsible for, at the very least, 100,000 car accidents, 40,000 injuries, and 1,550 deaths per year.
4. People that have an untreated case of sleep apnea face a risk of stroke that is four times as likely as those who are not afflicted. Untreated sleep apnea sufferers are also three times as likely to have heart disease.
5. Due to the breathing and gasping of the apnea sufferer, the bed mate loses up to an hour per night of sleep.
6. On the average night’s sleep, a sufferer of obstructive sleep apnea may experience 60 apneas per hour. This accounts for an average of 400 suffocations per night!
7. 25 % of all people with sleep disordered breathing have depression. The greater the obstructive sleep apnea, the worse the depression.
8. 90 % of all people with high blood pressure have sleep disordered breathing.
9. 60% of all people with sleep disordered breathing have high blood pressure.
10. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, roughly 38,000 cardiovascular deaths annually are in some way related to sleep apnea.
11. 30 % of people with Sleep Apnea do NOT snore (just because you don’t snore, doesn’t mean you don’t have some kind of Sleep Disordered Breathing).
The Greek word "Apnea" literally means "without breath". Obstructive Sleep Apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses, or if the tongue closes the airway durring sleep.
As these statistics show, sleep apnea is not a problem to be taken lightly. The risks of mortality faced by those with untreated obstructive sleep apnea are simply not worth it when you consider all the types of treatment available.
Dr. Tamura has invested in a brand new technology called the Watch-Pat 200 which allows his patients to be screened for sleep apnea in the comfort of their own home.
If Doctor Tamura feels you are a candidate, he can first do a sleep evaluation in our office to determine if you would be a candidate for a sleep screening test. This small device is no bigger than a large wrist watch. You can check it out from our office and take it home for the night.
Our dental team members have been trained by the Itimar Corporation (makers of the Watch-Pat) to show you how to put thesensors comfortably on two of your fingers which will collect the data while you sleep.
The next morning simply put the Watch-Pat back in it's custom carrying case and return it to our office. With a simple USB connection to our computer, we can print up a Sleep Screening Report which will tell Doctor Tamura if you have No Sleep Apnea or have Mild, Moderate or Severe Sleep Apnea.
If your sleep apnea is Mild, Doctor Tamura may discuss with you a mouthpiece you can wear at night which gently holds your lower jaw forward so your tongue does not fall to the back of your throat at night and close off your airway.
SOMONDENT SLEEP APPLIANCE
If your sleep screening report shows that your Sleep Apnea is Moderate to Severe, Dr. Tamura may refer you to a Sleep Physician. A Sleep Physician is a medical doctor who specializes in working with people who have Sleep Disordered Breathing. Many times yourmedical insurance will pay for treatment related to sleep disorders.
TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO BE EVALUATED
TO SEE IF YOU HAVE SLEEP APNEA, CLICK HERE.