This week, Dr. Roubal was featured in a KETV-7 News story about sleep apnea. The focus of the story was the case of 44-year-old Council Bluffs firefighter Jeremy Dankiw.

Draining His Energy

Dankiw didn’t realize he had sleep apnea. What he did know was that something was draining his energy. He also knew that he was snoring really loud, as his wife and coworkers at the firehouse were telling him regularly.

Dankiw’s case is pretty typical. Middle-aged men are the most common sufferers of sleep apnea, but it’s important for women to be aware that they can have sleep apnea, too. Sleep apnea becomes more common when people are overweight, but it can happen to people with a healthy weight like Mr. Dankiw, even if they’re fit and active.

“Changed My Life Completely”

Like most patients with sleep apnea, Dankiw was initially prescribed CPAP therapy. But like many CPAP patients, he had difficulty using it. His problem wasn’t the discomfort, claustrophobia, or sound that bothers many CPAP users, but simply that the CPAP mask wouldn’t stay in place long enough to really make a difference for his sleep apnea.

His CPAP mask would fall off in the middle of the night, or, perhaps, he’d remove it while sleeping and wouldn’t remember, but the effect was the same: CPAP wasn’t having the desired effect of restoring his energy, so he talked to Dr. Roubal about oral appliance therapy (OAT).

With OAT, Dankiw feels the positive effects. He says, “I didn’t even realize how tired I was all the time . . . [OAT] literally changed my life completely.”

Spread the Word

Dr. Roubal has dedicated his practice to improving the lives of people like Mr. Dankiw who have sleep apnea and just aren’t getting good results with CPAP therapy. Many people still don’t know they have another option, so news spots like the KETV-7 feature are vital.

We’re not just being dramatic when we say it’s a matter of life and death. If you have sleep apnea, you need a treatment that is effective and that you will use.

If you are looking for a CPAP alternative in the Omaha area, please call (402) 493-4175 for an appointment at the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center today.