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Snoring is the most common
complaint we hear. Assess your bed
partner's snoring and we can recommend a
solution. |
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Monitor your weight with the
Body Mass Index (BMI)
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Body Weight and Sleep
Apnea |
There is a clear
association of increased body weight to
obstructive sleep apnea. Excess body weight is
linked with many serious health conditions,
including high blood pressure, heart disease,
stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Additionally,
it has recently been found that mid-life obesity
may contribute to memory problems late in
life. Untreated sleep apnea may worsen
obesity-related conditions such as high blood
pressure and diabetes. As little as a 10%
drop in body weight can reduce the severity of
snoring and sleep apnea in some patients.
Obstructive sleep apnea that is moderate or severe
is less likely to be fully cured by typical weight
loss efforts. In such cases, continuous
positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the
best treatment. However, losing a few
pounds or at least avoiding increases in body
weight can prevent worsening of sleep apnea while
offering other health benefits. For patients
on CPAP therapy who lose or gain significant
weight, reassessment of your CPAP settings by your
sleep medicine doctor may be needed.
A standard practice in monitoring weight is
to calculate the body mass index (BMI), which
takes into account both height and
weight. See left to connect to the link
or go to http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102598974499&s=730&e=001RtpXIifRWtEz1ABNAZe75eDr98-VALPyKFh8WSSEcwWpqao9AEvIuW8BcSERnRzhMx_UzsT4c7J29cV5zSk-w2pNESxG4S-_GYjql4PrVetIDa3l6P0lMcPCV8dUa2cj8t9EjDywCyQ=.
If your BMI is 30 or more, your health
may be at increased risk from body weight
issues. The BMI is a reasonable measure of
your body weight status and can be useful in
tracking changes over time, but the BMI does not
factor in individual differences. For
example, a body builder may have an elevated BMI
due to increased muscle, but would not be at risk
for weight-related health problems. For many
health conditions, including diabetes and sleep
apnea, waist circumference is likely a more
sensitive measure to assess the risks. Men
with a waist of more than 40 inches and women with
a waist greater than 35 inches are at increased
risk for health problems due to body
weight. |
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Bruxism |
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Grinding or clenching of
teeth in sleep, often quite loud and alarming to a
bed partner, is called bruxism. Chronic
bruxism may result in tooth pain and damage, but
also may contribute to discomfort and popping with
movement of the jaw at the TemporoMandibular Joint
(TMJ). Morning headaches may result.
Should you grind your teeth in sleep, see your
dentist about the need for a protective
mouthpiece.
Dr. Heath Roberts,
DDS hroberts@sleepmed.com is also
available in our Dallas office for assessment and
treatment of sleep bruxism. Bruxism is
thought to be made worse by stress and anxiety,
but is also linked with other sleep disorders such
as sleep apnea. If bruxism is
interfering with your sleep, evaluation by a
sleep specialist could be of
benefit. |
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Rate Your Daytime
Sleepiness |
| When you come into our office, we often ask
you to complete a rating of daytime
sleepiness. The simplest scale to use is the
Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Anything
that reduces good sleep will cause you to feel
sleepier during the day. Sometimes
medications will increase your sleepiness. A
change in your sleep disorder can also increase
sleepiness. If you have an Epworth
sleepiness score of 11 or above, your doctor will
want to explore reasons for the sleepiness.
This link on our website will take you to the
ESS Click
Here to Rate Your Daytime
Sleepiness. If your ESS rating is
11 or above, it may be time for you to visit your
doctor. |
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Duane Day
Practice Administrator Sleep
Medicine Associates of Texas, P.A.
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