In need of quiet and quality sleep?

In all the years of treating snoring patients, it amazes me to see how many snoring husbands do not deal with snoring and get their snoring “under control” for their wives and vice versa. These individuals usually say that they are sleeping very well and don’t need to get help. Meanwhile their spouses are struggling with frequent awakenings, elbow jabs and some major sleep deprivation.

A modern day diva realizes that if her husband doesn’t deal with snoring, she doesn’t sleep well. And if she doesn’t sleep well, the whole family suffers. She refuses to “fix” sleeplessness by guiding her husband to the spare bedroom.

Here are a few ways that today’s diva can “quiet” her spouse or seek medical intervention to deal with snoring:

• She might make an appointment for her husband and drag him to a surprise medical destination.
• She may beg her family physician to get her husband to take action.
• She may shove a pillow over her spouse’s head. (We don’t’ recommend this one).
• She may withhold amorous affections.
• She may show him the facts. Snoring is often the sign of a life threatening disorder called sleep apnea, which can greatly increase the risk of strokes, heart attack, impotence and even death!
• She may say, “I love you, and I want you to be safe, healthy and QUIET!”
• She may use a special “split” bed that raises the angle of her husband.
• If all else fails, she may stop cooking for him.

Whatever she decides to do, today’s modern day diva needs good quality sleep to operate at her peak. How will you help your husband deal with snoring?

Can you get snoring treated and paid for with medical insurance? The quick answer – it depends.

You have options to get snoring treated and paid for

Snoring is often a sign of a more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  During obstructive sleep apnea, pauses or stoppages in breathing during sleep lead to oxygen starvation to vital organs. Treatments for OSA are most often covered under medical insurance guideline for reimbursements.  Some insurances may have a “minimum” amount of severity that they will begin coverage.

We have also seen (although far less common) some medical carriers have benefit coverage for upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) or primary snoring depending on the severity of symptoms. These symptoms may include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). UARS and primary snoring are conditions that during a sleep evaluation patients did not “score” enough to reach the mild diagnosis range.  These patients may still in fact have apnea events (stoppages or pauses in breathing), just not enough to reach that number which classifies them as “mild” OSA.

Our practice has over 17 years of experience in workup with snoring and apnea patients.  We would be more than happy to screen your oral cavity, discuss possible treatment options and refer you to appropriate medical providers as needed to get your snoring resolved.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 17 years successfully.  We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs.  For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option. visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

Recently I was diagnosed and told I need CPAP for my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Can I use Oral Appliance Therapy and have a dental mouth device made instead?

Oral Appliance Therapy

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) has evolved over the past 30 years now reaching acceptable levels as a very good choice of treatment for many apnea sufferers.

The standard of care for oral appliances as set by sleep-trained physicians include oral appliances as an acceptable treatment choice for those:

• With mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• That prefer oral devices to CPAP
• With severe OSA unable to tolerate CPAP
• That have failed attempts of weight loss and positional therapy

There are other factors that need to be evaluated when OAT is contemplated. These may include how sleepy an individual is during the day as a result of apnea, or how low oxygen dipped during the patient’s sleep test. For many, CPAP can give them immediate relief of excessive daytime sleepiness. After their symptoms have been resolved, they may want to then seek oral appliance therapy.

Many successful CPAP users also choose to have oral appliances made as an option for traveling even if they are compliant and able to wear the CPAP.

Advantages of oral appliances over CPAP include:

• less cumbersome
• easy to travel with
• no hoses and cords
• no mask problems
• no facial irritation
• no sinus issues

To find out if you are a good candidate for oral appliance therapy, ask your sleep physician or primary care doctor about it. You can choose to come in for a screening and discussion here at Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, and we can help direct you with further details.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 17 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

Sleep Awareness Week – March 2-9, 2014

Sleep Awareness Week is an annual event that helps raise the public’s knowledge on the importance of sleep. Many people are aware of how important nutrition and exercise are to overall health and well being, but many miss the important marks on sleep health.

Here are a few myths and facts from the National Sleep Foundation to help us get realigned with SLEEP:

Myth 1: Snoring is common, especially with men, and not harmful.
Fact: Snoring is not uncommon amongst women. Snoring can also be a sign of a life threatening condition called obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is defined as a person’s airway is partially or fully closed during sleep causing oxygen depreciation.

Myth 2: You can “catch up” on not sleeping enough.
Fact: For most, 7 to 9 hours of sleep works best for peak daytime performance. If you are not reaching your best-needed level, it’s not easy to “catch up” on sleep debt. Sleep deprivation is linked to obesity and other heart issues.

Myth 3: Insomnia is characterized as difficulty falling asleep.
Fact: There are MANY different types of insomnia. With some people, they may fall asleep easily, but wake up very early or in the middle of the night and not be able to return to sleep.

These are just three myths and facts about sleep. We’ll cover more myths and facts in our upcoming blogs.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

Stroke brainstem damage has been linked with obstructive sleep apnea. Sound serious? It is!

Many people do no realize the significance of having snoring evaluated medically. Although not all snorers have apnea, most apnea patients do snore.

Sleep apnea is marked by interrupted breathing during sleep and can lead to serious problems including heart disease and stroke.

A recent study discusses the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and stroke brainstem damage.

“People whose brainstems are affected by their stroke have a significantly higher prevalence of sleep apnea than those who have stroke-related injury elsewhere in the brain, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2014.”

If you suspect that you snore often, discuss the need for further evaluation with your primary care physician.

For more details on the study see http://newsroom.heart.org/news/sleep-apnea-common-among-stroke-related-brainstem-injuries.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.