Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI
Scientific research continues to show a link between obstructive sleep apnea and Type II diabetes.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) now recommends that any patient with one of the two conditions be screened for the other. As published in the Sleep Medicine journal, the IDF states that approximately 13 percent of men and 6 percent of women in America suffer from moderate to severe sleep apnea that has gone undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is referred to as the “silent killer,” and could be putting your life on the line!
A separate study by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health showed that obesity increases the risk factor for both sleep apnea and diabetes.
Sleep apnea is a sleep breathing disorder. A patient with the disorder experiences a partial or complete collapse of his or her airway during sleep. This diminishes or cuts off the flow of oxygen, causing breathing to become intermittent and disrupting the sleep cycle. In a patient with severe sleep apnea, these collapses may occur hundreds of times during the night, leaving a person feeling fatigued and irritable. Sleep apnea increases the risk of other chronic health ailments such as cardiac disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, obesity, and—yes—diabetes.
The World Health Organization estimates that one out of every 10 adults has diabetes. Most diabetic patients have Type II diabetes, meaning they cannot make or process enough insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar.
This new research emphasizes the need for preventive screenings for sleep apnea in people who are overweight or physically inactive—two factors that significantly increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. A sleep study is considered the standard diagnostic tool for determining sleep apnea, but a sleep apnea dentist also can perform an airway evaluation.
Ignoring sleep apnea can bear unsurpassable health risks including an increased risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack. Diabetes alone is enough to battle, but throw in these other health risks to the mix and you are really setting yourself up for some major health issues! Thankfully, a sleep apnea dentist such as Hartrick Dentistry can easily treat sleep apnea. Treatment is easier, and more convenient than you may think.
A sleep apnea dentist can both diagnose and treat the sleep breathing disorder, prescribing an adjustable oral appliance that addresses the cause of sleep apnea—the airway issue. This oral appliance is worn during sleep and keeps the lower jaw in the ideal forward resting position, maintaining an open airway, and the flow of oxygen to get you the rest that you need.
Do you or a member of your family have sleep apnea? Do you exhibit any of the symptoms of the disorder such as loud snoring or excessive daytime fatigue? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, or you already have been diagnosed with diabetes, then you should be screened for sleep apnea at your earliest convenience. Call the office of Hartrick Dentistry at (248) 549-0950 to schedule an evaluation today.
Hartrick Dentistry is proud to serve the oral health needs of patients in the areas of Royal Oak and Birmingham, Michigan.