Hate CPAP? February WSJ Article Explains New Efforts to Treat Sleep Apnea

Feb. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- A February 1, Wall Street Journal article “The New Face of Sleep Apnea”, by Kris Maher reported that research suggests the number of people with sleep apnea will grow, as the population ages. Do you or you have a history of snoring or obesity? Learn the symptoms of sleep apnea at http://www.ihatecpap.com.

Below is a dental appliance testimonial excerpt from Maher’s WSJ.com feature:

“When he started waking in the middle of the night choking, Dave Morton, a 35-year-old co-president of an online car-rental company in New York, sought help. At a sleep lab, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea, and his doctor prescribed a CPAP machine. But exhaling against the device's airflow made him feel disoriented, and he often threw the mask off in his sleep. (Sinus problems may have contributed to his difficulties, he says.) "I was very stressed and couldn't sleep," Mr. Morton recalls. ‘I never woke up feeling refreshed.’ “

“After two years of on-and-off CPAP use, Mr. Morton switched to a dental appliance. He was tested in a sleep lab with the appliance, and his apnea score dropped sharply. "I'm happier and healthier," he said. ‘I can tell my brain is working better again’.”

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a disorder in which the tissues at the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep, causing repeated stops and starts in breathing during the night. This leads to poor-quality sleep and, often, daytime drowsiness.  It is measured on an apnea-hypopnea index, combining the number of pauses in breathing and instances of excessively shallow breathing, in an hour. An index of 1 to 15 is considered mild, 16 to 30 is moderate, and over 30 is considered severe.

Typically, patients are diagnosed with sleep apnea only if they stop breathing five or more times in an hour. The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that drivers and pilots of commercial buses, trucks, airplanes and ships be screened for the condition, citing several accidents in which undiagnosed sleep apnea was thought to play a role.

If you or a loved one has sleep apnea or disruptive snoring and do not tolerate CPAP, I HATE CPAP wants to help you find answers go to http://www.IHateCPAP.com.  This online sleep medicine resource promotes sleep medicine and emotionally connects with patients who have abandoned CPAP treatment due to negative experiences or prefer to explore an alternative to cpap.

To discuss a dental alternative to CPAP with an experienced sleep apnea dentist in your area, visit the “Find a Doctor” section at http://www.ihatecpap.com/directory_listings/main_director...

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I HATE CPAP! LLC provides information on Sleep Apnea, Dental Sleep Medicine and alternative to CPAP for patients who are CPAP intolerant. The website http://www.ihatecpap.com has valuable information on treating sleep apnea utilizing oral appliances.