Sleep Apnea

Snoring is anything but a new annoyance. In fact, throughout the ages, there have been many interesting and unique approaches to treating the condition. However, unlike the archaic treatments of the past, according to sleep apnea specialist, Dr. Jonathan Greenburg of Los Angeles, sleep apnea treatments of today are easier and less painful to endure.

While treatments for snoring of both today and the past are as diverse as the patients who suffer from the condition, the most important thing is to seek treatment. Because the snorer is sleeping they may be unaware of the severity of their problem. However, snoring is associated with another significant and potentially deadly condition. Sleep apnea, is a serious sleep disorder, which not only causes the patient to snore loudly, they actually stop breathing while they are asleep. Symptoms of the condition include, Loud snoring in any position, followed by frequent periods of silence, feeling tired after a full night of sleep, frequent dozing, headaches and irritability.

In addition to increased daytime sleepiness and even impotence, there are many other serious conditions that can afflict the sleep apnea patient, including, increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, irregular heartbeat and even heart attacks.

Modern treatments for snoring conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea typically take the form of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device or oral appliance. The CPAP treats apnea by blowing air through the nose from a facial mask. The air pressure forces the airway to stay open. Similarly, oral appliances also hold the airway open by moving the jaw forward and holding the tongue and soft pallet tissues in place.

Snoring has such an infamous reputation, that there is an entire museum in Germany devoted to remedies for the condition. The Museum of Snoring (or Schnarchmuseum Alfeld) gives the sleep apnea sufferer reason to be thankful for modern day treatments. Visitors can see a one hundred year old leather mask used by soldiers in the United States Revolutionary War. In addition, cannon balls were sewing into the soldier’s uniforms so that they could not sleep in a supine position. The museum also displays the ear suppository. This candle-like device was affixed to the snorer’s ear so they could not turn onto their side. In addition, electronic shock devices were especially torturous, providing a jolt if snoring started.

According to Dr. Greenburg, diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea are much easier today. While CPAP is the most common treatment, over half of patients are intolerant to the therapy. “ New oral appliance designs, such as the FDA approved FullBreath, have been shown to reduce apneic incidents by close to 85 percent,” Greenburg notes

He indicates that the FullBreath device is different from traditional appliances because it is custom fitted for the patient and has the added benefit of keeping the tongue from falling back, which is the most significant problem with snoring and sleep apnea.

“This appliance is really quite state of the art. We collect a variety of information including x-rays of the jaw and other structures in the mouth and throat as well as data regarding the amount of air that is moving through the airway. This helps us to custom design the appliance for the patient. These appliances offer new hope for sleep apnea patients who are either unable or simply don’t want to be hooked to the CPAP device,” Greenburg adds.

With new treatments, snorers have new reason for hope. “The most important thing is to seek treatment if snoring is affecting you or someone you care about. The condition could be more serious than you might think, with a deadly end result,” Greenburg concludes.