Tired of Sleep Apnea? Don’t Want CPAP? Try a Custom Fit Oral Appliance

Jan. 13, 2011 - PRLog -- When CPAP is not tolerated, oral appliances are a good option for treating sleep apnea and improving overall health. In a recent study with four women and 10 men, which was featured at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, participants demonstrated excellent long-term compliance with oral appliances, high efficiency, and improved blood pressure and cardiac rhythm. Do you or you have a history of snoring or obesity? Learn the symptoms of sleep apnea at http://www.ihatecpap.com.

“Sleep apnea, the most common sleep disorder, affects nearly 1 out of every 8 individuals,” explains Sleep Medicine Expert Dr. Ira Shapira, who has made significant contributions to the advancement of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) dental treatments and has a long history of curing sleep deprived Chicagoans who suffer from disruptive snoring and life threatening sleep apnea with custom oral appliances.

Dr. Shapira notes that while prescribed CPAP is considered the “gold standard” in sleep apnea treatment, many sleep-challenged folks are now opting to breath easy with a lightweight dental appliance that keep the airway open, ensuring a restful night sleep and lowering their risk of stroke, heart disease, and sleep-related car accidents.

“With CPAP compliance at less than 50%, it’s important that sleep apnea sufferers who are not using their prescribed CPAP machine or can’t tolerate it discuss oral appliance therapy with their doctor,” explains Dr. Shapira.

A 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. 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’.”

In addition, New York Times’ Journalist Walecia Konrad put snoring in the spotlight with an interview with Atlanta internist Dr. Elizabeth Walton in her December 10th Patient Money article “Snoring: What to Do When a Punch in the Shoulder Fails”. Below is a dental appliance testimonial excerpt from Konrad’s NY Times health feature:

“DR. ELIZABETH WALTON, a 43-year-old internist in Atlanta and the mother of twin 4-year-old boys, has a common, if sometimes embarrassing, health problem. She snores loudly. And she has tried to fix it with a variety of things, including a machine that blows air down her throat and an oral appliance that looks something like a mouth-guard wornby a hockey player. “

The appliance works, and Dr. Walton is finally sleeping more easily. (So is her partner.) And because she was told she had obstructive sleep apnea, a more serious disorder than simple snoring, her treatments have been mostly covered by insurance. “

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

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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.