Archive for January, 2012

Whether you can make it on five hours or eight, at some point, you have to enjoy some shut-eye to function properly the next day. Sleep is the time when our bodies are able to rejuvenate and repair as our minds relax. But study upon study has shown that a majority of today’s society does not get an adequate amount of sleep each night – let alone the proper amount of quality sleep. Both a lack of quantity and quality of sleep have shown to have negative effects on the body. Not only do restless nights lead to days filled with fatigue and drowsiness, consistently poor sleeping cycles can lead to internal health problems, such as high blood pressure.

In fact, a study conducted on 784 men over the age of 65 found that 80 percent were unable to reach the stages of deep wave sleep, also known as non-REM sleep. When stages of non-REM sleep are not achieved, the body suffers. After 3.4 years, the study found that 234 out of the 784 men had developed hypertension, which is almost one-third of all of the tested subjects. Men who were found to spend less than 4 percent of their total sleep in non-REM sleep were at the highest risk of developing hypertension. The study determined that these men not only sleep for very little each night, but are more prone to sleep interruptions which only worsen the situation.

High Blood Pressure Is Widely Diagnosed

Deep sleep is known as restorative sleep, and when the body is unable to restore itself on a daily basis, internal health problems are bound to arise. Proper sleep is not only a problem amongst men 65 and older. In fact, studies have determined that one-third of all adults in the U.S. suffer from high blood pressure, which could be linked to poor sleep due to sleep apnea. Poor quality sleep can also lead to other health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and others.

If you suffer from high blood pressure along with a daily feeling of being tired, fatigued, lacking energy or the inability to concentrate, you could possibly be suffering from sleep apnea. To learn more about sleep apnea, contact Dr. Roubal today.

Dr. Roubal cannot diagnose sleep apnea; however, once a diagnosis is obtained from a sleep physician, treatment can begin. Dr. Roubal offers a variety of treatments, including the new highly advanced DNA Appliance. To learn more, simply call or email our office today! Keep your heart and your body healthy by treating sleep apnea.

Whether you undergo surgery to fix a broken bone, to remove a growth, or to repair a torn muscle; the idea behind all surgeries, for the most part, is to provide a permanent fix to the problem at hand. For patients diagnosed with sleep apnea, a surgery known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is performed to remove part of the soft palate, uvula, adenoids, and the tonsils in order to remedy airway obstruction while sleeping. Commonly, this surgery is performed on patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – and though UPPP can be successful in some patients; for others, surgery is merely another failed sleep apnea treatment.

Many studies have shown that – in the long run – the success rate of UPPP is very low. In fact, some studies have determined only a 25 percent success rate. With this number in mind, one may wonder why and how this surgery can be so unsuccessful. There are two main reasons: for one, in some patients, airway obstruction isn’t caused by a soft palate problem; and in other patients, the occurrence of scar tissue can recreate the problem.

What some may not realize is that sleep apnea isn’t always caused by the same underlying issue. While UPPP may be a successful way to treat OSA in some patients, it isn’t the most viable method for each and every sleep apneic. For example, surgery isn’t ideal for patients who suffer from OSA due to the position of their jaw when the mouth closes. In some patients, when the mouth closes, the jaw hangs. This leaves the airway vulnerable to obstruction, as the tongue can roll back into the throat during sleep. Surgery wouldn’t be able to correct this problem.

Scar Tissue Can Be Just As Damaging

In other patients, the growth of scar tissues can work against the goal of surgery. When the tissues in the throat or any other place within the body are cut, the body’s natural reaction is to produce scar tissue. Though scar tissue may not be problematic in all patients; for some, high amounts of scar tissue can be just as dangerous as the original soft tissues that were removed during surgery.

While surgery can be successful in some patients; it’s important to remember that surgery is irreversible, invasive and expensive. For these reasons, it’s ideal to exhaust all alternative sleep apnea treatment methods before using surgery for treatment. If you want to learn more about sleep apnea and the available treatments, including the DNA Appliance, contact Dr. Roubal today. Call or email Dr. Roubal’s office to schedule a sleep apnea consultation today.