My Father’s Battle With Sleep Apnea

My dad passed away in 1994 after a long battle with heart disease.  I was always close to my dad, and I still miss him after all these years.  There are times when I hear about advancements in healthcare that offer new hope for people who have cardiovascular disease, and I always say to myself, “Gee, if only this had been available 20 years ago, my dad might still be with us.”

My dad was also a world-class snorer.  My mom had to hope she fell asleep before him, or she was in for a rough night of trying to get enough sleep herself.  After we kids grew up and moved away from home, my mom finally took to sleeping in a separate bedroom just to avoid the noise.

Early last fall, our whole office was at a dental seminar in Dallas, and there was a brief presentation about sleep apnea on the last day of the program (apnea is a cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or longer).  Part of the presentation included some videos of patients undergoing sleep studies.  In all honesty, it freaked me out.  You would swear that the people in the videos were going to die before your eyes, and it was frightening to me to watch these people literally struggle to breathe.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms & Causes

It turns out that the most common risk factor for sleep apnea is being overweight. Many snorers also suffer from sleep apnea, and 90% of sleep apnea is undiagnosed.  Upon learning this, I immediately thought of two things.  The first was my dad, who besides being a prolific snorer, was also significantly overweight for most of his adult life.  The second was MYSELF!  I also am aware that I can snore pretty well, and my weight has increased in recent years to beyond where it should be.

How Dentists Can Treat Sleep Apnea

It also turns out that as a dentist – with the right training – can help people who suffer from sleep apnea.  Using special custom-fabricated oral appliances, we can often open the airway enough to eliminate both snoring and sleep apnea.  (See more about snoring treatment.)

By doing so, we can literally help eliminate a lot of suffering, and minimize a lot of health risks in those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.  In fact, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has stated that oral appliances are the first choice of sleep apnea treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate sleep apnea, or for anyone who cannot tolerate a CPAP machine (which is the vast majority of users).

Upon returning home, I instructed my staff to find me the first sleep apnea seminar they could find, and register me for it.  So the next month, I was back in Dallas, this time learning about sleep disorders, and how I, as a dentist, can help in the treatment of these dangerous and often life-threatening conditions.  And oh, by the way, using a sleep monitor while at the seminar showed that I myself have moderate to severe sleep apnea.  I couldn’t do anything about my dad – who I’m convinced had obstructive sleep apnea – but I could do something about my little boy’s dad – ME!  I want to be around to watch him grow up and to spoil his kids.  Thanks to my sleep apnea appliance, there’s a much better chance that this will be the case.

Does someone you know suffer from obstructive sleep apnea?  Consider the following:

• 30-50% of snorers have sleep apnea
• Obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of a heart attack by 23 times!
• Obstructive sleep apnea also significantly increases your risk of high blood pressure, strokes, depression, sexual disfunction, motor vehicle accidents, and poor job performance.
• More adults suffer from sleep apnea than do from asthma, and almost as many as have diabetes.

If you have a loved one who you suspect may suffer from sleep apnea, or who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea but can’t tolerate a CPAP machine, please, PLEASE refer them to our office.  Obstructive sleep apnea is a life-threatening condition which is easily treatable.  We are trained to work together with sleep physicians and your medical insurance to help in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.