Prisma Health Magazine

PRISMA HEALTH MAGAZINE

Do you snore when you sleep? Does your bed partner? You’re not alone. Almost from time immemorial, nocturnal noise-making has been so common that it has created such familiar expressions as “sawing some wood” and even the euphemism for sleeping – “catching some Zzzs.” DON’T IGNORE THE SNORE…

at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital in Simpsonville, agreed that dental appliances can be a good treatment option for the right patients. Particularly for patients diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea, “a dental appliance fitted by a skilled dentist with plenty of experience can also be very effective.” One of these qualified dentists is Dr. Dana Blalock, a diplo- mate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy whose Sleep Better SC practice is on Daniel Island. While acknowledging that CPAP therapy remains “the gold standard” for OSA treatment, Dr. Blalock stated that “oral appliances can very effectively treat patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea and are a wonderful alternative for those who cannot tolerate the mask.” That said, Dr. Healy always starts his sleep apnea patients with the CPAP as it is “still the most effective treatment with decades of data documenting effectiveness in ameliorating daytime sleepiness and improving blood pressure along with potential reduction in heart attack and stroke in certain pa- tients.” To determine whether a patient suffers from sleep apnea and whether that condition is mild, moderate or severe, Dr. Healy relies on a one-night, in-lab sleep session or a similar “at- home” session. Both testing methods, he believes, can be effective diag- nostic tools, although the in-laboratory sessions gather more

Snoring is a frequent subject of humor. But, in reality, it’s not a laughing matter. Sleep-disordered breathing can have a host of health and even life-threatening side effects, among them morning headaches, dry mouth, overall fatigue and even drowsiness that can lead to such negative outcomes as industrial accidents and automobile crashes. Worse yet, snoring can be a marker for the condition ob- structive sleep apnea, which can be a factor in diabetes and heart disease and can lead to death. The good news is that not all snorers will develop OSA. On the other hand, most OSA sufferers also snore. Snoring is a symptom that indicates your airway is closing off or diminishing. There are a number of possible causes for this, ranging from the size and shape of your tongue and tonsils to fat accumulating in the area of your windpipe. For most patients diagnosed with OSA, the conventional treatment has been the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device, a full or partial face mask worn during sleep that forces a stream or pressurized air into the airway, helping to keep it open. Many patients acknowledge the benefits of CPAP therapy but for various reasons cannot wear the mask consistently. For these OSA sufferers, relief may be as close as their properly certified dentist. Dr. William Healy, a specialist in pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine practicing at the Prisma Health Lung Center

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