If you suffer from sleep apnea, you’ve likely already discussed with your doctor the dangers of this serious medical condition. Sleep apnea can not only cause a poor night’s sleep- it can cause many other medical problems like depression, weight gain, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and even stroke.
A new study by the University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City, Kansas, recently found that by treating sleep apnea, patients can effectively reduce their risk of serious medical events such as stroke and myocardial infarction, or MI.
The study suggested that patients with sleep apnea be treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to help reduce their risk of these serious conditions, however, many people do not adhere to their prescribed CPAP therapy. This can occur for many reasons, but many cite the loud noise, complicated machinery, and uncomfortable CPAP mask as reasons why they do not utilize their prescribed therapy. In fact, some patients only use their machines a few nights a week, or worse, not at all.
The good news is that there are alternative therapies to CPAP therapy. While they were not specifically studied in the study at the University of Kansas Medical Center, devices such as oral appliances may be a viable solution for those who do not like CPAP.
Oral devices are custom fit to your individual mouth, so they are very comfortable to wear. They work by propping the mouth into a position that is ideal to open the airway as you sleep. This enables you to breathe freely in a reclined position, without the use of cumbersome machinery, tubing, and loud forced air.
Sleep orthotics are available through your trusted dentist, including Dr. Mingus. Dr. Mingus can help you create a custom orthotic that is molded to your individual mouth and is much more comfortable and better tolerated than CPAP therapy.
To learn more about custom sleep orthotics, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Mingus today and schedule a consultation. He will be happy to discuss the benefits of sleep orthotics and get you started on a sleep apnea treatment plan that will get you feeling better and help reduce your risk of serious medical conditions like stroke and MI.