Dr. Sevey and Sophie just got back
from a two day seminar in Boston on Dental Sleep Medicine. Sophie had sent
an email last year on Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA), but after attending
Dr. Tucker’s presentation, she was inspired to send out another.
Dr.
Tucker shared that no male in his family has lived past the age
of 57 due to OSA. Even his 14 year old son suffers from OSA. It is no
wonder that he is passionate about treating this potentially deadly
condition.
Individuals with OSA repeatedly stop breathing during sleep
due to a complete or partial obstruction of the airway in the back of
the throat. The stress on the body caused by this lack of oxygen results
in increased risk of heart attack and stroke as well as extreme
tiredness. OSA can be successfully treated using a dental appliance
designed to keep the patient’s airways open.
Do you or does someone you love snore? While not everyone who snores
has OSA, everyone who has OSA snores. The only way to find out whether
you have OSA is to have a sleep study. If you do snore, get tested! If
someone you love snores, get them tested! Don’t brush it off as just
snoring! We need to breath to live!