Dr. Inna Shturman is a dentist who has answered some common questions that Bizymoms visitors have about Sleep Apnea.
Q. What is Sleep Apnea?
A. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Most people that snore are unaware that they may have sleep apnea (OSA). Apnea is a Greek word that means "want of breath." Without help, you are probably going to stop breathing hundreds of times a night and wake up literally gasping for air. Not only does sleep apnea leave you exhausted during the day, it increases your early death risk by 46% and can lead to a variety of life threatening problems.
• 60% of heart attacks are associated with OSA
• 40% of strokes are related to OSA
• 7 times more likely to have a car accident
• Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Depression, Memory Loss & MORE
Q. What happens during an episode of Sleep Apnea, and what are the signs and symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
A. Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life threatening condition where air is unable to flow into, or out of, a person’s airway for brief periods of time during sleep. They literally stop breathing for a brief moment. Thus the person is deprived of the necessary oxygen needed for the proper functioning of their organs. Many people don’t even realize they have it. What they do know is that during the day, they seem tired or, at night, their sleep doesn’t seem truly restful.
Chances of experiencing an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke are dramatically increased for the more than 18 million Americans who have sleep apnea.
Q. What are the main causes of Snoring?
A. Snoring is a noise produced by the vibration of the soft palate and sides of the throat when air rushes against them. This sound is amplified more when the muscles of the throat relax causing the throat to narrow.
Sleep disordered breathing encompasses several sleep disorders associated with various degrees of airway blockage due to large tonsils, long soft palate or uvula, excessive fleshy tissue, or excessive relaxation of the tongue. In our dental sleep practice, we see some of the conditions that lead to snoring such as a small or protruded jaw and airway obstruction.
During normal sleep, the muscles that control the tongue and soft palate hold the airway open. When these muscles relax, the airway narrows which can lead to snoring and breathing difficulties.
Q. Is snoring the same as Sleep Apnea?
A. Snoring isn’t just a noisy nuisance. As well as being loud enough to disturb both sufferers and their families, snoring can also interrupt sleep and place pressure on relationships. Snoring may also be a sign of a condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) but in many cases it is the "thunder before the storm." Testing, which we provide, is the only true parameter to determine if apnea exists and to what degree.
Q. Are there different types of Sleep Apnea? If so, what are they?
A. There are 3 different levels of sleep apnea:
Mild is when an apnea episode (stop breathing) occurs on an average of 15 times per hour or less.
Moderate is 15 – 30 times per hour and
Severe is greater than 30 times per hour
Q. How can Sleep Apnea be diagnosed at home?
A. Sleep apnea cannot be diagnosed at home, but there are signs to look for. Obviously prolonged or continuous snoring… actually hearing a person for a second appear to be gasping for breath. Signs also include waking up somewhat tired, feeling you need a nap during the day, and falling asleep while watching TV.
Q. How can we contact Dr. Shturman if we have further questions?
A. Please contact Bob Hillstrom (Marketing Director) at rkh015@yahoo.com or
his cell # (916) 899-7177.
