Is TMJ Causing My Headaches?

March 13, 2021

Filed under: TMJ — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 2:05 pm

Many people fall victim to headaches for a multitude of reasons. In fact, according to the WHO, “Half to three-quarters of adults aged 18–65 years in the world have had a headache in the last year and, among those individuals, 30% or more have reported migraine.”

The only way to get rid of these awful, nuisances are to get to the bottom of what is causing them. One of the causes of your headaches could be TMJ. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome is a disorder of the jaw muscles and nerves caused by injury or inflammation to the temporomandibular joint.

How do you know if TMJ is causing your headaches or migraines? Make note of these signs next time your head is pounding.

Over-exertion of your jaw

Have you noticed that your headaches are more prominent after chewing tough food or gum, talking for lengthy periods of time, or any other intense jaw activities? Your headache may be related to TMJ. According to a study in the Journal of Pain, “Painful temporomandibular disorders were associated with a higher primary headache frequency.” Using your jaw just a little too much may trigger the headache.

 

Teeth Clenching

Do you clench your teeth before or after a headache? Let’s not rule out bruxism. Bruxism is unconsciously clenching or grinding your teeth while you’re awake or asleep. People who clench or grind their teeth (brux) during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and pauses in breathing (sleep apnea).

 

Try the “Pencil Test”

Although it’s not infallible, a way to test whether or not your TMJ is the cause of your headaches is to hold a pencil in your teeth while you’re experiencing the headache. If you feel relief or a reduction in pain, it could hint that TMJ is the root cause of your head pain.

 

If one or more of these signs are hitting home or if you’re finally looking for a solution to your headaches, contact Sleep Rehab for a TMJ consultation. We’re here for you.

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.

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!

Weight and Sleep Apnea: Does One Cause the Other?

July 6, 2020

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 5:59 pm

Which comes first, weight gain from lack of sleep or Sleep Apnea caused by weight gain? Well, the truth is, it can be both. In fact, it can become a vicious cycle if not treated quickly. You may not be able to sleep well at night due to Sleep Apnea, and the exhaustion you experience from a restless night disrupts a healthy routine. It’s not new knowledge that carrying around extra weight comes with additional medical issues, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can be one of them.

Why Weight Gain Causes Sleep Apnea

Over two-thirds of the U.S. population of the United States is now considered overweight or obese, and it’s estimated that three to seven percent of the U.S. population suffers from Sleep Apnea. So, just because you are overweight does not mean you will develop Sleep Apnea, but it does significantly increase your chances if you do have some additional pounds on you.

The reason for this is, that the excess fat that accumulates around the neck area can obstruct breathing, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of Sleep Apnea.

 

Why Sleep Apnea Causes Weight Gain

Not getting an adequate amount of sleep nightly not only makes you less attentive and reactive, but it can cause weight gain. Lack of sleep changes your hormone levels related to your appetite, and in the increase in hunger makes you eat more than you normally would or even need. Not waking up rested can also cause you to put off healthy habits like a morning jog. The last thing anyone wants to do when they are exhausted is go for a long walk.

 

So how do you stop this cycle from becoming worse and worse? Make an appointment for a consultation with our experts at Sleep Rehab. We have the right tools to help you sleep better and feel better.

Your Brain Without Sleep

March 3, 2020

Filed under: Medical,Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 3:06 pm

The alarm goes off. You hit snooze. Can it really be time to get up already? After a night full of tossing and turning and barely getting a total hour of sleep, it’s going to be a rough day. But as much as you feel like you won’t be able to keep your eyes open during the day, it’s not just your body that is exhausted, your brain is too and you might not be as sharp as you need to be today.

In a study published on nature.com, researchers found that not getting an adequate amount of sleep at night makes it challenging for your brain cells to communicate effectively. When your brain cells can’t communicate effectively, it makes it more difficult to concentrate or focus.
The study focused on 12 individuals who were required to stay up all night. During the night, researchers monitored their brain activity by asking them to perform certain tasks like categorizing animals and objects. As the people became more exhausted, it became more challenging for them to perform the tasks, and their brain cells seemed to be slowing down.
“We were fascinated to observe how sleep deprivation dampened brain cell activity,” lead study author Yuval Nir, a sleep researcher at Tel Aviv University in Israel, said in the statement. “Unlike the usual rapid reaction, the neurons responded slowly, fired more weakly and their transmissions dragged on longer than usual.” 
When your brain cells slow down, it can take you more time to process information. The researchers compared the effects of lack of sleep to those of drunk driving. Delayed responsiveness, taking longer to realize what they are seeing, etc.
So next time you wake up exhausted and feel a dip in your performance at work or in your daily life, it’s time to get a wake-up call! Schedule a consult with Sleep Rehab today to sleep better tonight and live your most productive life tomorrow.

New Study: Correlation Between Age Acceleration & Sleep Apnea

December 30, 2019

Filed under: Sleep Apnea — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 8:11 pm

As a sufferer of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), you might be experiencing quite a few side effects including trouble breathing in the middle of the night, waking up unusually exhausted, and others. However short-lived those effects may be, there are other effects of not sleeping through the night that may cause long-term damage, including your lifespan.

Image via abc.net.au

Could untreated sleep apnea result in shaving years off of your life? According to a 2019 study by Oxford, it certainly could.

In this article titled, Sleep Disordered Breathing Associated with Epigenetic Age Acceleration, tested with 53% female and 47% male and an average age of 67.8 found that disruption in your breathing while asleep not only changes your circadian rhythm causing exhaustion, but it also aids in age acceleration.

The scientists that published the article concluded: “Increasing SDB (sleep disordered breathing) [a side effect of OSA] severity and sleep disruption was associated with epigenetic age acceleration, independent of measured confounders.”

Epigenetics refers to the changes that can happen in DNA because of lifestyle and environmental factors that can affect how genes behave. When you don’t get enough sleep, your DNA could be aging faster than it normally would.

In the study, one of the authors stated, “Traditionally, we don’t give as much attention to sleep as we do to exercise or smoking,” says Dr. Li. “But it’s another modifiable risk factor, like smoking, physical inactivity, or poor diet.”

The good news is, epigenetic aging is reversible when treated and could improve cardiovascular and neurobehavioral health.

“Although there is no cure for sleep apnea, recent studies show that successful treatment can reduce the risk of heart and blood pressure problems.” – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

At Sleep Rehab, located in the Dallas area, we can provide treatments that have proven time and time again to treat your sleep apnea with the possibility to slow the age acceleration that OSA has caused. These treatments are non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical and non-surgical. No CPAP required. Contact us today to learn more and get started.

 

 

A Letter to the Snoring Spouse

December 2, 2019

Filed under: Snoring — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — drfedosky @ 4:43 pm

My dear [insert name here],

I’m writing this letter during yet another sleepless night. I have been awoken to what sounds like a massive, growling bear beside me in the wee hours of the morning. Wide-awake now, I’m unable to fall back asleep. Work is just a few short hours away. It’s going to take a truckload of coffee to get through the day, I can already tell. Now, this letter is not a sudden decision. It’s taken a lot of deep contemplation on my part as to how to tell you this:

The snoring has got to stop.

That might sound harsh and you know I love sleeping beside you every night, but I’m not sure I can take it any longer. I’m not sure if we can take it any longer.

It’s apparent that you’re not getting a full night’s rest, either. The disruptive, loud, snoring and breathing pauses can’t be healthy for you and they wake you up, too. In fact, I know it isn’t healthy because I’ve been doing some research. However, with the research, I have discovered that there are solutions (that don’t require one of us sleeping in the guest bedroom!). Plus, these solutions I’ve found aren’t surgically-invasive or pharmaceutical. How perfect is that?

First, you’ll go through a sleep test to determine what the cause of the snoring is. From there, you’ll be presented with a variety of sleep appliance options. Dr. Fedosky will talk you through each one and carefully identify which will work best for you. And, guess what? We’re not the only couple going through this problem, Sleep Rehab has helped other couples just like us get a better night’s sleep.

I’m excited about this solution, and I hope you are too. It’s time we both sleep through the night, next to each other. When you’re ready, we can request an appointment.

With love,

Your Exhausted Spouse

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