What's this buzz all about? Could snoring really be a warning sign for a major health problem?
The answer is YES!
In the United States, the treatment of snoring and related problems has become a major part of the American Health System. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that snoring is the major indicator of a more serious condition, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). So what does this mean to you and your patients?
We know that someone with severe OSA will live approximately 10 years less than normal! Have you ever known anyone or have heard of anyone who died while sleeping? Does it make sense that someone can die of a stroke or heart attack while asleep? It happens all of the time. What causes this? Since we know that snoring is the major indicator of OSA, let's talk first about what OSA is. It is a condition in which you stop breathing for a period of 10 seconds or more. By definition, your blood oxygen level will drop 4% from its baseline. It is not unusual to see oxygen levels to drop from 98% to a level in the mid to low 80%. So think this through. What happens to your system when your body needs more oxygen but isn't getting it through your lungs? Two things happen.
First, your pulse shoots up. It shoots up fast and stays up – it is rises as if you are running a race. The second thing that happens is that your blood pressure jumps up at the same time, both as an effort to circulate more blood. This is a combination for disaster, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. So imagine what happens to your circulatory system if this is going on from five to a hundred times an hour, several hours a night, day after day for a few years. Research shows that it causes hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis.
In the United States, the leading research center, John Hopkins University, reported that the risk of dying early with OSA is 46%!: “Severe sleep apnea raises the risk of dying early by 46 percent, U.S. researchers reported. They said people with severe breathing disorders during sleep were more likely to die from a variety of causes than similar people without such sleep disorders. The risks are most obvious in men aged 40 to 70, Naresh Punjabi of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and colleagues found.
Sleep apnea is caused by a collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Strong snoring can be a symptom but what makes apnea different are numerous brief interruptions in breathing. Punjabi's team studied 6,400 men and women for an average of eight years. Those who started with major sleep apnea were 46 percent more likely to die from any cause, regardless of age, sex, race, weight or smoking, they reported in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.
Men aged 40 to 70 with severe sleep-disordered breathing were twice as likely to die from any cause as healthy men the same age, they reported in the study -- available online here... The researchers, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, said people with milder sleep-breathing disorders were not more likely to die early. The NHLBI estimates 12 million adult Americans have sleep apnea, but most are not diagnosed or treated. The National Sleep Foundation puts the number at 18 million.” Read more...
Remember, snoring is the major sign of sleep apnea. So do you know that you can be instrumental in helping these patients? Not only are you able to improve their quality of life, treating snoring will create a significant profit center for your practice.
To create a customize anti-snoring device in your clinic is quick and simple. You will not need to purchase any expensive equipment and it does not take much time. It can even be done by your dental nurse (assistant?). Imagine increasing your profit 300-400 Euros with every patient that you help. Not only will treating snoring in your clinic be satisfying, it will be profitable too.
Contact the American Institute of Sleep Solutions - we can help your clinic flourish.
Dr. Mark Levy,
President