Saturday, September 12, 2009

Are You Addicted to Exercise?

It's generally accepted that regular moderate exercise is good for your health, but what if you exercise too much? Do you HAVE to exercise every day? What happens when you don't exercise for a few days? Do you feel more tired and irritable if you skip a few workouts? Does intense vigorous exercise make you feel good? Does skipping a workout make you feel stressed?
Despite all the known benefits of exercise, if you overdo it, this can be a sign that you may be compensating for something else that may be going on. For example, one of the most common conditions that I see in my practice is when people are unable to get a good night's sleep, they compensate in various ways, such as regular exercise, increased caffeine consumption, relaxation or breathing techniques. You'll automatically take part in activities or habits that make you feel more energetic or relaxed. Eating is another form of relaxation, since it stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system (the relaxation half of your involuntary nervous system).
I know a lot of endurance distance runners in my running club, and almost invariably, no one can or likes to sleep on their backs. They can only sleep on their sides or more commonly their stomachs. What does their sleep position have to do with why their addicted to exercise? It all comes down to my sleep-breathing paradigm.
To summarize, my sleep-breathing paradigm proposes that all modern humans have difficulty breathing at night to various degrees due to our unique upper airway anatomy. The voice box is located underneath the tongue, as opposed to animals, where the voice box is located behind the tongue. This location of the voice box under the tongue is necessary for complex speech and language. But this is also what unprotected our airway, leading to all the various breathing and swallowing problems that modern humans have. Comparative anatomists and evolutionary biologists have said that speech and language development was ultimately detrimental to humans.
What's worse, it's thought that due to a radical change in our diets (highly processed foods and refined sugars) over the past century, our jaws are getting more narrow with increased dental crowding. Furthermore, dentists have stated that introduction of bottle-feeding to infants can aggravate dental crowding and malocclusion, which makes everything much worse. All these factors aren't the only reason for everyone's sleep problems, but everyone, by definition, is along a continuum. Your ability to breathe properly while sleeping is ultimately determined by your genes (the anatomy that you're given by your parents), your diet, and how you were fed as an infant.
So why is breathing a problem only when we're sleeping? There are two components to this issue: When lying flat on your back, your tongue falls back partially, due to gravity. This narrows the breathing passageway behind your tongue to various degrees. As you fall asleep, the deeper level of sleep you enter, the more your muscles relax, and at at a certain point, your tongue can fall back and obstruct your breathing. The more narrow your airway (due to smaller jaws or inflammation due to a cold or allergies), the more likely you'll stop breathing and wake up to turn over. When you were young, you tossed and turned and eventually figured out that you can sleep much better when sleeping on your side or stomach. The problem is that even on your side or stomach, it's never perfect, and you're not able to get deep, efficient sleep, no matter how long you sleep.
It's also not too surprising that many personal trainers and fitness professionals have very similar features: Almost invariably they prefer to sleep only on their sides or stomachs. The same can be said about bodybuilders-a personal trainer/natural body builder friend of mine told me that almost every one in her gym snores. Working out intensely for 2-3 hours is invigorating and energizing, but maybe for some people, this is a way to overcome the expected fatigue and lethargy that would result from inefficient sleep.
We know that professional football players have a much higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea. About 1/3 of all linemen were found to have mild or moderate sleep apnea. It's not only the fat in the neck-it's also the muscle mass that impinges on the soft tissues of the upper airway. So in theory, the more muscle bulk you have in your neck, the more breathing problems while sleeping, which can promote more intense workouts. It's hard to say which came first, but once it's started, it ends up being a self-perpetuating vicious cycle.
The worst case scenario is when you fit the profile above, and you suddenly get injured. Let's say you either can't run anymore. You become more lethargic, and you may end up eating more due to increased levels of stress from increased sleep deprivation. As you gain weight, your upper airway narrows even further, leading to worse deep sleep quality. Another scenario is if you injure your neck or shoulder. This will prevent you from being able to sleep on your side or stomach, which again, aggravates the vicious cycle.
What I just described may seem a little far fetched, but even if a small fraction of the people I mentioned has this anatomic condition, then it can potentially explain various health issues and problems down the road. One way to see where you're headed to to look at your parents. More often than not, one or both your parents may snore heavily, and in many cases will have one or more of the complications of untreated obstructive sleep apnea: depression, anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
Many people will be just fine with their regular exercise regimen, but some others will have various health issues such as chronic nasal or sinus congestion, headaches, throat clearing, hoarseness or post-nasal drip. A thorough history and physical exam is the first step towards feeling better. Educating yourself about your condition is another step-I describe my sleep-breathing paradigm in much more detail in my book Sleep, Interrupted. I also take you through the steps you need to take to finally be able to breathe better, sleep better and feel better.
Steven Y. Park, M.D.
Author of Sleep, Interrupted: A physician reveals the #1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired. Find out why you're always sick and tired here: http://www.sleepinterrupted.com
http://www.doctorstevenpark.com

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The 5 W's of Dental Sleep Medicine Sleep Apnea

What is Dental Sleep Medicine? Dental Sleep Medicine refers to the branch of dentistry devoted to the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea with an oral appliance similar to a retainer. When a patient is diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, they are usually prescribed a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine which functions like a reverse vacuum cleaner to keep the airway open.

It consists of a mask fitted over the mouth and nose which is attached to a compressor-like machine via a hose through which room air is forced. Compliance is shown to be very low due to common complaints of the machine being too noisy, the mask irritating the face, claustrophobia due to wearing the mask, inconvenience of being tethered to a machine and inability to sleep in all positions. In many cases, oral appliances are an effective alternative to CPAP therapy for sleep apnea.

Why do airway testing? A specially trained dentist utilizes airway testing with a Pharyngometer and Rhinometer to verify airway size and collapsibility as well as to predict success with an oral appliance. This technology utilizes sound waves in acoustic reflection much like a fish-finding device. The Pharyngometer measures the cross-sectional airway in the throat to determine where there is an obstruction and whether movement of the lower jaw with an oral appliance will be effective in clearing that obstruction. The Rhinometer measures the nasal airway and determines whether there is blockage in the nose. This is critical because oral appliances are unable to open the nasal airway and should not be used if the obstruction exists in the nasal passages only. Airway testing with the Pharyngometer/Rhinometer is crucial for predicting before treatment even begins whether the oral appliance will work or not.

When can we treat with Oral Appliances? Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the tongue falls back into the throat and blocks the airway. Partial obstruction typically causes snoring and complete obstruction causes a cessation of breathing in addition to snoring. Oral appliances are designed to bring the lower jaw forward and thereby bring the tongue forward to open the airway. Oral Appliances were approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a first line of therapy for patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea. Patients with severe sleep apnea who cannot or will not wear a CPAP machine can also benefit from oral appliances but they are not as effective as CPAP therapy. It is still better than no treatment at all.

Where is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosed? Only a physician can make a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and classify its severity. For many years, diagnosis had to be made from an overnight sleep study, Polysomnography or PSG for short. This study is conducted in a hospital or sleep laboratory.

Just recently, unattended home sleep studies such as the Watch-Pat 100 are available to physicians and dentists and approved by the FDA for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea. Diagnosis still must be made by a physician but the advantages of being able to conduct the study in the patient's own bedroom can often provide a familiarity which lends itself to increased patient comfort and decreased anxiety.

Dentists treating sleep apnea can also use the Watch-PAT 100 to verify the effectiveness of an oral appliance. No patient should be given an oral appliance without the follow-up of an unattended sleep study or repeat PSG.

Who is practicing Dental Sleep Medicine? This field requires a commitment to education and a commitment to technology. Most dental school curriculua do not offer any training in this arena. Numerous books have been written on this subject and many continuing education courses are offered in this area.

Utilization of airway equipment and follow-up testing are imperative for the dentist to treat this properly. Guessing at severity of sleep disorder, jaw-position or effectiveness of oral appliances can be at the very least frustrating and potentially life-threatening.
Dr. Dawne Slabach is a General Dentist, Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, with a focus on the treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea as well as TMJ Disorders (TMD). For more information, please visit

http://www.sleepapneacolumbus.com

Sleep Apnea Dentist San Diego

Many of the underlying causes of sleep apnea can presently be tackled with by a sleep apnea dentist; there is even a medical branch known as dental sleep dentistry that has known an increase in the number of specialists over the last decade.

Medical practice has shown that sleep apnea may be caused by certain dental and mandibular problems that can be corrected by the surgical or non-surgical intervention of a dentist. Thus, there are all sorts of dental appliances used for the maintenance of a proper opening of the airways and only a sleep apnea dentist can recommend and design one for you.

In case the apnea patient suffers from a jaw deformity or mandibular deficiency that prevents the correct opening of the airways in a deep relaxation state, a sleep apnea dentist will have to create a special appliance to be worn at night.

Such a device would either pull the tongue forward or adjust the position of the jaw so that the air flow may pass unhindered towards the lungs. It should be said nevertheless, that the apnea dentist solutions usually work for the mild and moderate sleep breathing cessation problems, as the more severe cases require other forms of medical intervention.

After close medical investigations a sleep apnea dentist will tell you what type of oral device best matches your condition. The two most popular such devices include the splint and the mandibular advancement device.

The former holds the tongue in a position that allows the air to pass unhindered; this is mainly used for people who suffer from apnea caused by too large a tongue as compared to the diameter of the airways. The latter is a device that forces the jaw in a lower position, thus creating enough room for the air flow; the only problem with the mandibular device consists in the eventual jaw pain after its usage.

Regular visits to the sleep apnea dentist may be necessary particularly if you experience discomfort after the trial period is over. If you don't get used to an oral apnea device within a fortnight, contact the sleep apnea dentist and see how you can improve the situation. Do not purchase any type of apnea appliance since such items require a certain size and molding design that is unique for each individual. A general model will surely be very uncomfortable, even if you'd think it a real bargain.
Steve Hill is a webmaster from Birmingham, he has interests in a number of websites including: stuttering, stuttering therapy, sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea Auto Accidents and Breathing

So you ask, "What do automobile accidents and breathing have to do with each other?" Well you might be surprised to know that the number one cause of automobile
accidents on North American roads each year is tired driving. Unfortunately, obstructive sleep apnea is a huge contributing factor. It deprives people of the rejuvenating sleep that their bodies require. Disruptive sleep fill with arousals, increasing heart rate and high blood pressure does not allow the solid sleep your body requires. Did you know that people suffering from this sleep disorder are seven to twelve times more likely to be involved in an auto accident because of their excessive sleepiness? Limited sleep slows your response time. In fact, sleeping only four hours a night results in reaction times that are equivalent to someone who has a blood alcohol level of .08%.

Sleep apnea is one of the most under-diagnosed life threatening medical disorders in our society today. Despite the lack of attention, tired driving and obstructive sleep apnea are statistically more dangerous than drunk driving. Once you know the statistics, driving down the highway can be a scary proposition.

This sleep disorder is also directly implicated as contributing to heart disease, cerebrovascular insult, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and obesity. The list truly goes on and on. If you suffer from bruxism, or awake multiple time through the night, or have morning headaches or if your bed partner has witnessed you snoring and then gasping for air, the likelihood that you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea is very, very high. It is not necessary for you to have any or all of the aforementioned to have sleep apnea. Realize that not everyone that has apnea is tired. Some people have symptoms with very mild apnea while others don't have symptoms with sever apnea. Bottom line, don't let how you feel make the determination. This is one area that "guilty until proven innocent'" is probably sound advice.

One very good screening tool that has been shown to be predictive of sleep disordered breathing is called the Adjusted Neck Circumference screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Here is the formula: ANC = NC + H (4) + S (3) + C/G (3). ANC is Adjusted Neck Circumference, H is Hypertention, S is Snoring, C/G is Choking/Gasping. The way it is used is that the neck circumference (measured in centimeters) is adjusted if you have hypertention (4 cm added), or a habitual snorer (3 cm added) or chocking or gasping most nights (3 cm added). A low clinical probability corresponds to an adjusted neck circumference of less than 43 cm, an intermediate probability (4 to 8 times as probable) to a neck circumference of 43 to 48 cm, and a high probability (20 times as probable) for a neck circumference of more than 48 cm.

The gold standard for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is CPAP therapy; however oral appliances can be equally affective, particularly in mild and moderate sleep apnea. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, take it seriously and talk with your physician or a dentist that is trained in the treatment of sleep apnea. It could be a conversation that saves your life.
Dr. Joe Gatti is a Lawrence KS dentist who specializes in cosmetic dentistry and treatment of sleep apnea

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Finding a Good Dentist in San Diego

During the early days, there were only some limited solutions to any kind of a tooth related problem, but today, the advent of high-end technology and science has definitely made things much easier and simpler. In fact, thanks to this technological revolution, today any sort of a health problem has an answer and if you are suffering from aggravated or simple tooth problem, you can take the help of a dentist in Chula Vista and he will guide you to solve the problem.

Whatever dental problem one might suffer from, the best thing to do is to consult a dentist as he will be able to prescribe the right technique to tone down the problem and will also suggest good medicines that will help to reduce the risk of the dental problem that one is suffering from. There are various kinds’ of teeth or dental problems that one can suffer from and in fact, in today’s fast lifestyle, facing a dental problem is not a very big thing. Consumption of high amount of caffeine, heavy smoking, fast food all lead to some or the other dental problem. In fact, once any kind of a dental problem is detected, it is best to get things sorted in the very first stage rather than waiting for it to get aggravated and then create further problems.

Therefore, if you realize that your tooth is giving you some trouble, you should immediately consult a dentist. Now to do this you will definitely need to do some research on the dentist you want to consult, so that you remain assured that you are going to a great dentist in Chula Vista, who can fix your dental problem. Once your dental problems are fixed, you can easily sport that gorgeous smile of yours’ without any hesitation and pass that smile to make others feel great.

For more information about Dentistry, visit our Chula Vista Dentist Office Website

 

Visit a Good Dentist, Chula Vista

When somebody had quoted that health is wealth, he was so apt in saying that. One’s health is definitely the greatest and the most valuable asset and one has to make sure to take proper care of this invaluable asset. With the passing of time and the rise in competition, people’s health has been affected and therefore, today one has to make sure that he remains prim and proper and fit and fine to remain active in this highly competitive world. Health includes everything from head to toe. Therefore, one has to make sure that all their body parts are functioning aptly and that if they have any kind of a physical disorder, they should immediately consult a good doctor. Now, when we talk about all the body parts, there is one such part that is multitasking. This is the set of teeth that we all have. It is because of these teeth that we can chew our food and at the same time, these sets of teeth make us look beautiful by helping us to pass that dazzling smile. In fact, who does not want to pass a gracious smile? However, any kind of a tooth problem can lead to many health hazards and therefore, one has to make sure to visit a good dentist, who can solve any sort of a dental problem.

 

For more information about Dentistry, visit our Chula Vista Dentist Office Website

 

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Chula Vista, Eastlake and Bonita Dentist

At Bonita Del Rey Dental Care we specialize in cosmetic and family dentistry. We are located in Chula Vista, California; we pride ourselves on offering the best personalized care and the most reasonable fees in Chula Vista, Eastlake and Bonita!

Check out our Website


http://bonitadelrey.com