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Posts Tagged ‘sleep apnea’

Leeds dentists warn patients of the links between sleep apnea and heart failure

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Suffering from severely broken sleep patterns can have a serious impact on your life. If you experience such inconvenience it is possible that you have sleep apnea, a condition in which the muscles at the rear of the mouth relax during sleep and prevent adequate amounts of oxygen from reaching the lungs. There is a link between the condition and heart failure.
When the muscles at the back of your mouth relax, not enough oxygen can get through and the brain sends an automatic signal that is not receiving enough of the oxygen it needs. This causes the body to wake up. You might only wake up for a few seconds and go immediately back to sleep and some patients don’t even notice that they are waking up for tiny amounts of time in the night, just that they are extremely fatigued during the day.
This fatigue in the day can have a serious impact on the life of a sufferer. Traffic accidents become more likely and it is dangerous to use heavy machinery. Perhaps the most worrying impact though is the link to heart failure. Sleep apnea and the fatigue it causes often bring on a state of hypertension in the patient. This leaves them at greater risk of suffering from heart failure and strokes.
By allowing your dentist to examine your mouth in detail you are giving yourself the best chance of having sleep apnea diagnosed and then it can be dealt with. Often patients are given a device to wear in their mouth during the night which ensures that oxygen flows into the lungs unrestricted.
If you are worried about sleep apnea, make an appointment to see your Leeds dentist.

Risk of strokes and heart attacks reduced by Leeds dentists diagnosing sleep apnea

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

If, while sleeping, you experience interruptions in or obstructions to your breathing you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Affecting about 1.5% of women and 3.5% of men in Britain sleep apnea mainly occurs in those over forty year of age. For periods of about five seconds at a time your throat muscles relax and the airways are temporarily blocked.

Sleep apnea can have many detrimental effects on the life of a sufferer. Car crashes and other accidents become more likely as those afflicted will have reduced reaction times. There is also evidence that resulting hypertension can bring on heart attacks and strokes. When your muscles relax and your airway closes a message is sent to your brain and your deep sleep ends so that oxygen can get to your lungs once more. The disruption to sleep is extremely inconvenient.

Those who are overweight are more likely to be afflicted as are smokers and people who consume alcohol just before sleep. Consumption of sleeping pills or the use of sedatives can also increase your risk of developing sleep apnea. Hormonal changes too mean that chances of apnea are higher but studies have also shown that it is a genetic condition which runs in families.

Your Central Leeds dentist can help in the diagnosis of the condition and can then proscribe one of several devices to help stop it. Dentists have access to the afflicted areas which include the tongue and soft palate at the rear of the mouth. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) involves wearing a mask while sleeping which ensures a continual flow of oxygen into the lungs. Inter oral devices (IOD) are less effective than CPAP but also less cumbersome as they are smaller and fit into the mouth.

Contact your Central Leeds dentist today if you are worried about sleep apnea.

Effective Treatment for Sleep Apnea in Leeds Central

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Sleep apnea is a condition in which the person experiences small pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses usually last for a few seconds to a minute at the maximum and can occur at least thirty times an hour resulting in poor sleep quality. This in turn leads to day time drowsiness often affecting social and professional life. But now you need to suffer with this condition; effective cure is available for sleep apnea in Leeds Central.
One of the best ways by which you can control this disorder is by using a mouth piece which is a form of oral appliance. This can be used not just to get relief from sleep apnea but can also be used by people who snore very loudly. Consult a dentist who is specialized in the treatment of sleep apnea to learn more about this mouth piece. It is also important for the doctor to have a detailed look at the health of your teeth and oral cavity before fitting you with this oral device.
The dentist creates a mouth piece that is custom made according to the shape and size of your teeth and oral cavity. The function of this appliance is to adjust the position of your lower jaw and tongue so that the airways are left open while you sleep. This will help to cut down on the breathing pauses giving you a fitful sleep every night. It is important that you make periodic visits to the dental clinic so that the mouth piece can be fitted better if any change or shift in position has occurred during use.
So stop losing sleep over sleep apnea and get fitted with a mouth piece to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated.

Sleep Apnoea, Heart Failure and how they are connected; by a Leeds dentist

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Not much was known or researched before 1965 on Sleep Apnoea, before that it was just looked upon as a strange, but harmless phenomenon says a Leeds dentist. Charles Dickens must have read up on this; as he gave it to the `Fat-Boy` in the Pickwick Papers. The abnormality in the pattern of how we breathe occurs when we sleep, hence the name, and it is now connected to heart failure. It can occur for up to ten breaths, but there is still little known about why it happens. The throat muscles relax for the period of the attack and this causes the airflow to become blocked, which stops any air from being breathed in or out. Quite why it usually lasts around 10 seconds is what fascinates researchers most. There are two types of this abnormality, Apnoea which I have just described and Hypopnoea is where the blockage halves the amount of oxygen being taken in. This condition usually also lasts for around 10 seconds or breaths. The lack of oxygen makes the patient come out of a deeper sleep into a less deep sleep, and quite often this results in them waking up and restoring the breathing pattern back to its normal amount. The patient then relaxes back into their normal sleep pattern, and the whole thing starts again. The long term affects are a loss of memory and tiredness, road accidents have been linked to a loss of concentration caused by the constant awaking in patients. The heart is also affected according to recent research, and this has been known to cause heart attacks. If you think you may suffer from this breathing abnormality then you should see your doctor, and also tell your dentist as problems can occur if you ever have to go under a general anaesthetic.

City of Leeds dentist breaks link between sleep apnea and heart disease

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Sleep apnea is a common disorder that affects thousands of people as they sleep. It cause interruptions during breathing that leads to noises being emitted, similar to those of snoring but it is not the same condition as snoring.

The interruptions in breathing can last for a few seconds or even minutes, which puts a lot of stress on the patients heart. Although, breathing will start again after a matter of time. Because the condition affects sleep, many sufferers are unaware that they have the disease. Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that disrupts three nights sleep a week on average. This often means the patient is tired for large parts of the week due to poor sleep, and they are often unaware of the causes.

The condition is very hard to test for which makes it so difficult to diagnose. This means that many people live with sleep apnea for many years having a huge impact on their lives. It occurs when the soft palate at the back of the throat collapses during sleep, temporarily blocking the airwaves and preventing breathing. This is called obstructive sleep apnea but there is another variety called central sleep apnea when the brain forgets to send a message to the lungs to breath. Both conditions can be very bad for your health and have links to stress and underperformance, especially in children. More worryingly however, is the links to heart disease and heart failure. There have been many cases of sudden death due to sleep apnea as the interruption to breathing outs tremendous strain on the heart.

If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, make an appointment to see a City of Leeds dentist who may be able to assist you with treatment, often involving a fitted appliance to be worn when sleeping.

The dangers of central apnea avoided by City of Leeds dentist

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects breathing during sleep. Often confused with snoring which is the sound of breathing during sleep, apnea is the actual cessation or interruption of breathing which often causes a choking, snore-like sound. Because apnea happens during sleep, many people who have the condition are unaware, unless they have been told by a loved one or friend about their problem.

There are two types of sleep apnea caused by different things. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused when the palate at the back of the throat collapses blocking the airway. This will usually right itself but can be the cause of interrupted sleep and the underlying cause of stress and lack of concentration. It can be treated at a City of Leeds dentist with the application of an oral device that will keep the airways open during sleep.

The other form of apnea is not so easily treated. Known as central sleep apnea, it occurs when the brain omits to send a message to the lungs to continue breathing. This happens in the respiratory area of the brain and the exact causes are unknown. What is certain however is how serious this can be. Repeated episodes during the night can place an enormous strain on the heart and lungs and has even been known to cause heart failure during the night. Treatment can be complex and involve the use of supplementary oxygen and medication.

A City of Leeds can help diagnose your sleep apnea of you are having trouble sleeping or think you may be affected. They can treat most forms of obstructive apnea but can also refer you should be suffering from the less common central Apnea.

Link between sleep apnea and heart failure broken at Leeds dentist

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The condition causes the actual cessation of breathing during sleep. It has two main causes which have led to two distinct varieties of the disease. The most common is known as obstructive sleep apnea and is caused in the throat when soft palate tissue collapses, momentarily blocking the airway and causing the patient to emit a choking-like sound. Apnea is often confused with snoring because the sounds are not dissimilar even though snoring is the sound of breathing when asleep.

The other type of apnea is called central apnea and occurs when the respiratory centre of the brain forgets to send a message to the lungs to breath. This again causes a temporary stopping of breathing which causes patients to choke and splutter. Although both forms of the condition are caused by different malfunctions, they can both be very serious and have long-term and even fatal consequences.

Apnea can often be one of the main causes of anxiety and stress as a lack of good sleep causes the body to work much harder without sufficient rest. This can also cause many children to under perform at school and can cause sever lack of concentration. More worryingly though is the fact that both kinds of apnea can put a lot of strain on the heart which can even cause fatal heart attacks.

Both apneas can be treated in different ways. Central apnea may need more medical advice and medication but obstructive apnea can usually be treated with an appliance fitted at a Leeds dentist. If you are concerned or thin you may have sleep apnea then make an appointment to see a dentist as soon as possible and get your sleeping patterns back to normal.

Central Leeds dentist treats sleep apnea to beat heart failure

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Sleep apnea is a disorder caused by the interruption of breathing during sleep. It is often incorrectly confused with snoring which is only the noise caused by obstructed breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea is the choking sound that occurs when breathing has actually stopped. As frightening as sleep apnea sounds, incredibly 90 per cent of sufferers have no idea that they have the condition and those that do have most likely been informed by a family member. Sufferers of sleep apnea can stop breathing a s much as one hundred times in a single night.

The two main types of sleep apnea produce the same results but stem from very different causes. Obstructive Sleep Apnea, commonly referred to as OSA, occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. This temporary blockage causes the patient to splutter and choke before the tissue rights itself. The other form of sleep apnea happens when the respiratory control centre of the brain temporarily stops sending messages to the lungs to breathe. This malfunction of the respiratory centre is known as Central Sleep Apnea

There are several risk factors that make people more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. Patients who are overweight are more likely to suffer from OSA, especially if they are male and over the age of forty. Other patients with genetic factors such as large tonsils are also at risk from the condition.

Although rarely directly responsible for any deaths or long-term damage, sleep apnea is believed to be an underlying cause for many other health problems. It is believed that many cases of hypertension and stress are caused by inadequate sleeping due to sleep apnea. More worryingly, sleep apnea has been linked to heart failure due to the amount of stress caused to the body by the condition. In children, sleep apnea is a thought to be responsible for underperformance in school and other activities.

Central Leeds dentists are able to treat sleep apnea with specially made and fitted dental appliances that can be worn safely and comfortably during the night. These dental moulds support the soft palate, helping to keep airways open to allow a good night’s sleep. If you think you or your child are suffering from sleep apnea, then make an appointment with a Central Leeds dentist for a thorough examination.

Oral device form Central Leeds dentist prevents sleep apnea

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that causes a person to actually stop breathing during sleep. The interruptions to breathing can happen up to several hundred times a night. Incredibly, people who suffer from sleep apnea very rarely know that they have the condition, with as many as 90 per cent being completely unaware. It is only when they have been told by a partner of family member that they become aware of the condition.

Sleep apnea is sometimes confused with, or passed of as, snoring but this is not the case. Snoring is the noise caused by breathing during sleep where as sleep apnea is the actual cessation of breathing that causes a patient to emit choking noises.

There are two main types of sleep apnea, the most common of which is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea, also known as OSA. This occurs when airways are blocked by collapsing soft tissue at the back of the throat, during sleep. The other type of sleep apnea is far less common. It occurs not as the result of physiological condition like OSA, but occurs when the brain stops sending signals to the muscles to breathe due to a malfunction in the respiratory control centre.

Sleep apnea can affect any patient of any age but there are a number of factors that increase risk. Being male and overweight increases a patient’s risk of suffering from the condition. As does being over the age of forty. Having large tonsils and a genetic disposition to the condition can all be contributory factors.

While sleep apnea itself is not considered to dangerous it can be the underlying cause behind a number of other medical concerns. Hypertension, strokes and even heart failure can all be caused in some part by sleep apnea, but only in tandem with other pre-existing circumstances. Recent research has also shown that children with sleep apnea frequently under perform at school and in general activities.

Dentists play an important part in the treatment of sleep apnea. Patients respond differently to different treatments but the most successful treatments are dental appliances such as lower jaw adjusters and other oral devices. It is important to correctly diagnose sleep apnea, so if you think you may be suffering from the condition consult a Central Leeds dentist and ask about treatment.