Is there Medication for Sleep Apnea?

November 16, 2021

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 12:44 am

Sleep is arguably the most important activity to allow our bodies to function at the highest ability, so it should be startling that 50 to 70 million adults in the U.S. are affected by a sleep disorder (American Sleep Association [ASA], 2021). Even more shocking, 25 million of those Americans are diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, also known as OSA. Not receiving the proper amount of sleep is a nationwide issue.

Sleep Rehab Plano

Uncontrolled, there are a lot of health risks associated with Sleep Apnea including heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke, just to name a few. Aside from those, drowsiness during the day can affect your life in negative ways. When exhausted, you can’t work at your highest potential, you’re irritable around family and friends, and you put your physical health on the backburner. Shouldn’t there be a magic pill to make all of this go away?

Medication is generally used to treat issues that can change physiologically in your body like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and infection. Unfortunately, you can’t anatomically alter your existing body parts with medication. In the case of Sleep Apnea, your narrow airway is the problem, and only devices and surgery can assist with opening up this passageway.

We wish there was a magic pill for Sleep Apnea as much as everyone else. But until that happens (if ever!) we’re going to have to rely on the cutting edge techniques at Sleep Rehab. We offer a variety of products that we tailor to you to make sleeping as effortless as possible, without requiring invasive surgery or heavy machinery. Contact us today for a consultation and start sleeping better.

The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Hypertension

August 9, 2021

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 10:18 pm

In the last few decades, scientists have concluded that there is a relationship between having Sleep Apnea (with the most common being Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA) and having Hypertension. But before we get into what that is, let’s talk about what each disease is.

Sleep Apnea Solutions Dallas

According to the definition from the Mayo Clinic, “Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.”

The definition of hypertension, also from the Mayo Clinic, “High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.”

So how does a disorder that has to do with breathing affect high blood pressure? Research indicates that patients who have sleep apnea are more likely to develop high blood pressure at some point in the future.

Research done by Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Public Health studied more than 6,000 adult men and women age 40 or older. Sleep Apnea was confirmed in participants by using polysomnography, which records brain waves, heart waves, blood oxygen levels, and breathing rate while a person sleeps. Participants were connected to a sleep monitor, and the average number of breathing pauses per hour of sleep was used to measure the severity of Sleep Apnea.

The results of the study showed that people with more than 30 pauses per hour of sleep were more than twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure than those with no breathing pauses. An increased risk of high blood pressure was found even at moderate levels of sleep apnea. Since sleep apnea is more common in overweight individuals–who are already at a higher risk of high blood pressure–additional statistical analyses were conducted to control for body weight and waist circumference. Even after controlling for these variables, however, sleep apnea was associated with an increased frequency of high blood pressure.

When you come to Sleep Rehab, we’ll give you a sleep test to determine whether or not you have Sleep Apnea through studying your breathing patterns. Once we determine your sleep issues, we can create a customized oral appliance for you, which will eliminate or reduce the effects of your sleep apnea and may help you avoid the life-threatening consequences of hypertension and other conditions. Book an appointment today!

Oral Appliance Spotlight: Whole You™ Respire Blue

July 13, 2021

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 11:19 pm

Feeling exhausted in the morning and throughout the day, despite getting an adequate amount of sleep, is a common side-effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (also known as OSA). There are a lot of modern solutions available, but it’s important to find the solution that best fits your needs.

Sleep Rehab prides itself on providing non-invasive and non-surgical solutions for sufferers of OSA. Dr. Fedosky and his team of highly skilled medical professionals provide top-of-the-line products to get you back to a more comfortable life. This month, we’re highlighting an oral appliance, the Whole You™ Respire Blue.

Respire Blue | Whole You Whole You

This product is an alternative solution for something more robust like a CPAP machine. As a customized, personalized mouthpiece, it features a dual block design with interlocking wings. It works by keeping the airway open in any sleep position and allows for a wide range of mouth movements.

The Respire Blue has mesh support that is welded and placed inside the acrylic mouthpiece. This improvement offers one of the strongest dorsal fin designs on the market, it’s easily adjustable, and it has more room in the anterior area which allows the patient to open and close as they please. It is also open in the front to add comfort by increasing the tongue space allowing the patient to inhale and exhale more air per breath.

More details:

  • 4-Wing dorsal fin appliance
  • Dual-block design with more freedom for vertical mouth movement
  • Additional support for lateral movement
  • 1-year manufacturer’s warranty

It should be noted that the Whole You™ Respire Blue is not available for purchase on its own. A sleep test and diagnosis are required, which can be done at Sleep Rehab! Please fill out an appointment form here and we look forward to helping you soon.

The Link Between Weight Loss and Severity of Sleep Apnea

May 11, 2021

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 10:22 pm

You may have heard by now, in your research regarding sleep apnea, that weight plays a role in why you are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea.
In fact, being overweight or obese is considered one of the primary risk factors of sleep apnea.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “Unhealthy eating patterns and lack of physical activity can lead to overweight and obesity, which can result in sleep apnea.”

So, can your sleep apnea be cured by simply losing weight? The short answer is that it’s possible, but not guaranteed.

Weight loss is a known treatment for a variety of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Improving your lifestyle habits like eating healthier or increasing the amount of exercise helps your body regulate chemical levels and takes the pressure off of major organs.

In the case of sleep apnea, excess weight creates fat deposits in a person’s neck called pharyngeal fat. Pharyngeal fat can block a person’s upper airway during sleep when the airway is already relaxed. (Source: The Sleep Foundation)

In a study about how weight loss affects obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients (OSA), the sleep quality of 72 overweight patients with mild OSA was monitored. The patients switched to a reduced-calorie diet and received counseling about their lifestyles, which resulted in a significant decrease in their BMIs. After losing weight, the subjects’ mean number of apnea events per hour decreased significantly. Post weight-loss, the number of patients with sleep apnea decreased by 75%. 

While that is a significant decrease, it’s important to remember that carrying around extra weight isn’t the only cause of sleep apnea.
People that have a large neck (over 16-17 inches), are over 40, have a nasal obstruction, or have large tonsils are more at risk of suffering from sleep apnea.

If weight loss doesn’t completely help your suffering of sleep apnea, contact Sleep Rehab today for a consultation for a non-invasive, non-surgical solution.

Is Sleep Apena Hereditary?

February 10, 2021

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 2:03 pm

A lot of health disorders originate from genetics, and you may be wondering if your Sleep Apnea is hereditary. It could be that you had a parent that struggled with sleeplessness and snoring and now that you’ve been formally diagnosed, it may have occurred to you that it could run through the family genes.

According to an article on healthline.org, “Research suggests that obstructive sleep apnea is about 40 percent attributable to genetics, which means it can be hereditary.” That is quite a large percentage, especially because the other 60 percent are attributed to environmental and/or lifestyle-related factors. In short, the more relatives you have with Sleep Apnea, the higher percentage that you will also have Sleep Apnea in your lifetime.

You may have children and are worried about passing Sleep Apnea along to them. The good news is that there is not a clear genetic link related to Sleep Apnea, but according to healthline.org, “Additionally, it’s been shown that obesity can have underlying genetic causes. Since obesity is a major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, this is an indirect way obstructive sleep apnea is hereditary.”

The important thing to know is that if you can keep your weight at a healthy number, the development or progress of this sleep disorder could subside. However, if you feel like you’ve tried everything and need a successful solution, at Sleep Rehab we offer a variety of non-invasive, non-surgical CPAP alternatives to treat Sleep Apnea.

You can’t choose your genes, but you can choose a solution to an inevitable problem, and we are here for you. Request an appointment at Sleep Rehab today.

Can Sleep Apnea Increase Your Chances of a Heart Attack?

January 5, 2021

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 9:21 pm

We won’t beat around the bush here, because coronary artery disease (a common cause of heart attacks) is a serious, and sometimes deadly, condition. So the short answer is yes, suffering from sleep apnea puts you at a greater risk of experiencing a heart attack.

But, why?

You may think it’s just a little snoring at night, but actually, being woken up multiple times throughout the night is not good for your heart. This is because when you stop breathing while you sleep, the sudden decrease in your oxygen levels causes strain on your cardiovascular system. Your blood pressure increases because your involuntary reflexes ultimately cause a micro-arousal, which elicits an accelerated heartbeat, resulting in high blood pressure.

Over time, having spiked blood pressure, low oxygen levels and increased CO2 leads to increased lifetime exposure to adrenaline. This causes stress on the heart and can lead to a heart attack, or even heart failure because too much exposure to adrenaline increases and damages your blood vessels over time.

The good news? There are effective treatments that can stop or even reverse these damages.

If your spouse or partner has let you know that you are gasping and waking up suddenly at night, it is time to seek treatment. The good news is, at Sleep Rehab, we have the tests and tools to successfully and non-invasively treat your sleep apnea. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Sleeping with Acid Reflux

November 11, 2020

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 10:35 pm

Many people experience the occasional acid reflux, or more commonly referred to as, heartburn. Acid reflux can happen for a variety of reasons including smoking, drinking alcohol, ingesting a large meal or even being overweight. Those who have experienced this uncomfortable and unsettling feeling know that in time it will pass and learn how to avoid it from happening in the first place. However, if you have ongoing symptoms of acid reflux, as in more than twice a week, you may be diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Photo credit: The Best of Health UK

GERD, a chronic form of acid reflux, can greatly impact your quality of sleep. Unlike occasional acid reflux, it can contribute to Sleep Apnea. There are a few reasons for this. One, because of your horizontal position, the reflux causes the contents of your stomach to rise as high as the throat. The acid from your stomach will cause an intense burning sensation and an unsavory awakening. Secondly, according to an article published on NCBI, “The prevalence of GERD has been shown about 58-62% of patients with OSA, however, these results may all be confounded by obesity. Apnea may increase trans-diaphragmatic pressure and decrease intra-thoracic pressure, favoring GERD.” To put it more simply, Sleep Apnea, which causes respiratory pressure to change, can make it easier for reflux to occur.

To help alleviate acid reflux, you can start out by propping up your pillow to sleep more at an angle and work with gravity to make it more difficult for the reflux to reach your throat. Another tactic is using over-the-counter neutralizing medications like Tums and Pepto-Bismol. However, neither of those is going to get rid of your Sleep Apnea. Sign up for an appointment today to get a handle on the problem before it worsens!

 

Problems with CPAP Machines & an Effective Solution

October 13, 2020

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 2:32 am

Did you know that one-third to 50% of adults who patients with a CPAP machine stop using it? There are also reports of patients that say they feel just as tired as they were before the CPAP therapy. What are some main complaints and issues with the CPAP and is there a way to avoid the CPAP all together?

 

CPAP Complaints

  • Feeling claustrophobic
  • Not feeling comfortable with the mask on
  • Difficult time adjusting to air pressure on the throat
  • Expensive
  • Loud
  • Difficult to carry around
  • Causes nasal problems

Solutions to a problem are only as effective as the amount of use they are receiving, so if half of the patients aren’t even using it, it’s not working.

Luckily, Sleep Apnea has alternatives to CPAP Machines that are more comfortable, less expensive and users report a longer use.

An Effective Alternative to CPAP:

  • Oral appliance
    • Similar to a mouthguard
    • Worn nightly
    • Holds the lower jaw forward instead of pressurized air inside of your lungs
    • Highly customized by the experts at Sleep Rehab to ensure comfortability

If you’ve been experiencing difficulty sleeping, been waking up more exhausted than usual and experiencing increased snoring, it may be time to come in for a consultation at Sleep Rehab. We have a team of highly-trained professionals that will help you get to sleep comfortably by using non-invasive or machine-oriented techniques, like an oral appliance. Contact us today!

3 Myths About Sleep Apnea

September 15, 2020

Filed under: Sleep Apnea,Snoring — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 12:40 pm

There is so much information floating around the Internet, it’s hard to know what is true and what is false. When beginning your searches about symptoms regarding sleep apnea, you may have run across some scary, but not possibly quite true, information. At Sleep Rehab, our goal is to make you well informed and confident about treating your symptoms. So, let’s bust some myths about Sleep Apnea!

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Myth 1: Obesity is the main cause of Sleep Apnea.

Yes, there is a link between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and weight gain, as we wrote about in this blog post. However, there are several factors that can affect your breathing at night and obesity is just one of them. As concluded by the Lost Angeles Sleep Study Institute, “Weight is a factor in developing sleep apnea, as the fatty tissue in the back of the throat can collapse and block the airway as the muscles relax during sleep. However, even a well-conditioned athlete who has a large, muscular neck may have a similar problem. Even a thin person can have sleep apnea if he or she has a narrowed airway or structural abnormalities of the jaw, tonsils or adenoids, septum, tongue and soft palate.”

Myth 2: Snoring means you have Sleep Apnea.

Snoring is a common symptom of Sleep Apnea patients, but just because you snore does not mean that you have Sleep Apnea. Snoring is only a clue that Sleep Apnea may be a possibility. According to the Mayo Clinic, snoring can occur with alcohol consumption, having a narrow nasal airway, a family history of snoring, or being a man (men are more likely to snore than women).

Myth 3: A CPAP machine is the most effective treatment of Sleep Apnea.

A CPAP machine has been a popular treatment for Sleep Apnea patients for decades. It delivers air pressure to keep a person’s airway open. However, there have been issues surrounding the use of a CPAP machine including claustrophobia, dry mouth, skin irritation, and nasal problems. Thankfully, the medical community is always advancing and there are as effective, or even more effective, Sleep Apnea treatments and Sleep Rehab is always on the cutting edge. We offer easy-to-wear oral appliances that are a lot of like a mouthguard and much less intrusive than a CPAP machine.

 

We hope busting these myths about Sleep Apnea puts you on a more clear path to treating your symptoms of sleeplessness and snoring. When you’re ready, make an appointment to see a specialist at Sleep Rehab to get a better night’s sleep.

Sleeping Postion for Snorers

August 12, 2020

Filed under: Sleep Apnea,Snoring — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 9:53 pm
When you turn in for the day, you probably don’t think much about what position you end up falling asleep. Maybe you move the pillow around to get comfortable, but you may not realize how you are sleeping is a subtle aid in your overall restfulness for the night. If you find yourself waking up feeling more tired than when you went to bed, it may be time to find a new sleeping position.

woman sleeping peacefully and smiling

Snoring? Try side-sleeping
If you snore, there is a chance you may be suffering from sleep apnea, which is the condition in which your airway gets blocked at night, ultimately restricting your breathing. In order to create better airflow, the best sleeping position to reduce snoring is side-sleeping. Curling up reducing you breathing too deeply, too. If this isn’t natural for you, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The good news is that you can teach yourself to become a side-sleeper.

How do you change your sleeping position?
First, make sure you have a good mattress. If you can fall asleep without interruption of feeling uncomfortable, there is less of a chance to retreating to your old habits. Next, make sure you have pillows that can essentially contour your new sleeping position. For instance, hugging a body pillow can reinforce sleeping on your side and prevent you from turning over on your stomach. But most importantly, as with changing any habit, practice makes perfect. Constantly remind yourself to get back on your side if you wake up in the middle of the night in a different position. Have a spouse help keep you in the right direction, too!

Changing your sleeping position is just one way to try and reduce your snoring due to sleep apnea. If you have tried everything and still waking up listless and exhausted, contact Sleep Rehab today for a consultation. We’re here to help!
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