Sleep apnea is a serious meical disorder that can cause multiple deleterious health effects. The good news is that CPAP is a highly effective treatment that can treat sleep apnea very effectively. Unfortunately the majority of patients prescribed CPAP treatment do not tolerate this highly effective treatment. Studies have shown that even those patients who actually utilize CPAP average only 4-5 hours of nightly use.
The good news is that oral appliances are a comfortable alternative to CPAP that patients tolerate much better than CPAP. Dr Ira L Shapira is an Illinois dentist who has created http://www.ihatecpap.com to educate patients about how comfortable oral appliances are an effective alternative for sleep apnea treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea. The appliances are so effective that the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has declared that "oral appliances are a therapy whose time has come" and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)
Dr Shapira is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and in addition to creating http://www.ihatecpap.com has also created http://www.ihateheadaches.org to help patients suffering from migraine headaches, chronic daily headaches and episodic tension -type headaches.
Sleep apnea is inimately connected to headaches and TMJ disorders. To learn more about these vital connections read the NATIONAL HEART LUNG AND BLOOD INSTITUTE (NHLBI) report "CARDIOVASCULAR AND SLEEP RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS" at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
This report is essential reading for all sleep, TMJ and headache patients.
Chicagoland patients desiring alternatives to CPAP can contact Dr Shapira toll free at 1-8-NO-PAP-MASK and patients wanting to learn more about drug free treatment of headaches and TMJ disorders can call 1-800-TM-JOINT
