If you have sleep apnea you probably have some of its related conditions as well. Beverly Hills sleep apnea patients need to know that sleep apnea comes with “comorbidities” like type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and mood disorders. These are conditions that coexist with sleep apnea but are also serious health conditions on their own.
According to research conducted by Dr. Naresh Punjabi, about 30 to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients have type 2 diabetes while 70 to 80 percent of type 2 diabetes patients also have obstructive sleep apnea. While the report doesn’t say which disease causes the other, Dr. Punjabi did explain that both the fragmented sleep and oxygen deprivation caused by sleep apnea are known to cause stress to the sleeper’s metabolism.
Treating obstructive sleep apnea can help. One study that appeared in the May 2012 issue of the journal Sleep showed that patients with glucose intolerance (an early warning sign of diabetes) improved their ability to tolerate sugars after eight weeks of treating their severe sleep apnea with CPAP. many studies have shown that treating sleep apnea improves overall health and increases feelings of energy and well-being.
CPAP is a wonderful treatment for sleep apnea but about 50% of patients cannot tolerate sleeping with the machines. Fortunately there is another treatment option for CPAP intolerant patients – an oral appliance created by a dentist who is trained in treating sleep apnea patients. Sleep apnea sufferers stop breathing during sleep because the soft tissues of the mouth and throat can fall back and block the airway. Oral appliances work by keeping these tissues from collapsing into the throat during sleep. Depending upon your needs this is accomplished by a mouthpiece that holds the tongue in place or more commonly, a mandibular advancement device which places the jaw in a position that allows the airway to remain open.
Find out more about your treatment options by contacting Beverly Hills sleep apnea dentist Dr. David Frey at 310-276-4537 today. We’ll schedule your consultation to see if oral appliance therapy is right for you.
