Snoring Isn't Sexy, LLC, the web's fastest growing source of information on dentistry's responsibility in the recognition and management of snoring and sleep apnea, announces the launch of an open discussion forum for both the public and doctors.

It has been estimated that in the United States alone 20 million men, women and children suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Millions more snore. Of these 20 million, only about 10% have been diagnosed despite the fact that the average life span of an untreated sleep apneic is years less than those without sleep apnea. Snoring and sleep apnea have been related to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, depression and erectile dysfunction as well as vehicular accidental injury and death. The increased medical costs of those with untreated sleep apnea are estimated to be in the billions a year.

"Unfortunately many physicians and patients are unaware that dentists play a role in the management of sleep apnea. Developing this forum will give all of us at Snoring Isn't Sexy the opportunity to engage the public directly in a conversation about how we, as dentists, can help those who snore and have sleep apnea," said Dr. Barsh. " We feel this is a natural progression from a static web site into one that is interactive."

While nasal CPAP is still the primary treatment for sleep apnea, recent research has proven that oral appliance therapy , in the hands of a specially educated dentist and with the appropriate case selection, can be as effective as CPAP. Oral appliance therapy for snoring and sleep apnea has been approved for use in mild to moderate sleep apnea when a patient is unable or unwilling to utilize a CPAP device.

About Snoring Isn't Sexy, LLC

Snoring Isn't Sexy, LLC was founded in 2008 by Laurence I. Barsh, DMD, a dentist who has been involved with sleep medicine since 1992 and who now devotes full time to educating the public about dentistry's role and responsibility in the recognition and management of snoring and sleep apnea. Dr. Barsh and the dentists associated with Snoring Isn't Sexy, LLC feel strongly that management of sleep-breathing disorders is a shared responsibility of both the medical and dental professions.

Snoring Isn't Sexy, LLC consists of independently owned and operated affiliated offices. Visit http://www.SnoringIsntSexy.com for a directory of all participating dentists.

Contact:

Laurence I. Barsh, DMD

888.203.0488

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Find More Sleep Apnea Press Releases

"Shaquille O’neal was recently diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by a group of doctors at the Harvard Medical School. This video shows Shaq speaking about his condition with his wife and his physicians. It also shows Shaq undergoing a polysomongram, or “sleep study”, and being fitted for a CPAP, continuous positive air pressure, to treat his sleep apnea. Shaq appears to be really receptive to wearing the CPAP, and even jokes about wearing the mask to a nightclub."

Ask any sleep apnea patient about hunting, fishing or backpacking in the great outdoors with a traditional CPAP machine and you’ll learn that real hurdles exist: they’re bulky and difficult to pack, depend on a reliable power source, and require distilled water for humidification.

Transcend, a new sleep apnea therapy device soon to be released for sale direct to consumers, overcomes the burdens faced by outdoors enthusiast with sleep apnea. In fact, its unique design—which is lightweight, compact and durable—was conceived to meet the needs of the sleep apnea patient who is on the go and enjoys spending time in remote, out-of-the-way locations.

By putting the lifestyle and comfort of sleep apnea patients first, Transcend is emerging as the missing link in the evolution of sleep apnea therapy to truly open new vistas for patients. Soon the freedom to sleep anywhere—in a tent, on a sailboat, or in a truck sleeper and wake up refreshed from a full night of therapeutic, restorative sleep—will be a reality.

About Sleep Apnea

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, nearly 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and those with obstructive sleep apnea—a condition that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep when the soft tissue in the throat collapses—tend to have high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches, and memory problems. OSA can also be linked to job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Both men and women can develop sleep apnea, but it is more common in men, particularly middle-age men who are also overweight. Approximately half of those suffering from sleep apnea also have a snoring problem.

Transcend is a Somnetics, LLC Product

Somnetics, LLC is a privately held Minnesota-based medical device company and is an emerging leader in customer-driven design, development, and production of respiratory medical devices. Somnetics’ mission is focused on integrating technology, customer input, and employee creativity to provide innovative, high quality products that improve the lives of people with respiratory disorders. Transcend is protected by several pending US and foreign patents.

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Related Sleep Apnea Press Releases

Earlier in the morning or late at night circadian rhythms are at the lowest point. The study suggests that people with sleep loss had slower reaction times during that time. The reaction times were not affected from sleep loss during the later afternoon/early evening.

"Many people have a false sense of reassurance that they can quickly recover from a chronic sleep debt with just one or two days of good sleep," the lead author of the study, Daniel Cohen, said in a news release. ". . .However, the lingering effect of chronic sleep loss causes performance to deteriorate dramatically when these individuals stay awake for an extended period of time, for example, when they try to pull an 'all-nighter.' "

You can find the whole study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Sleep loss can often be linked to other health issues.

If you do not feel rested when you wake up and just can’t seem to get enough sleep you could be suffering from sleep apnea. Dr. Ban Barbat can help you determine if you are getting the best nights rest possible. Contact our Metro Detroit Cosmetic Dentist office today for more information.

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

All joking aside, when his physician recommended a sleep study for John’s heavy snoring, Sleep Apnea was diagnosed. This explained his daily fatigue, urges to nap, and feeling of not being alert. “I woke up everyday feeling tired,” he explained. Sleep Apnea is a serious problem that affects millions of Americans and is coming to light as one of the most under-diagnosed, life threatening medical disorders in our society. It is statistically more dangerous than drunk driving and has been associated with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight gain, depression and stroke.

The Greek word “apnea” means without breath.

Those who suffer with Sleep Apnea endure a nightly pattern where they stop breathing for up to a minute, then wake up gasping for air.This can occur for a hundred or more times a night. To help John (not his real name) overcome his problem and receive steady oxygen levels throughout the night, a CPAP machine was recommended by his physician. A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)device is a mask that fits over the face and forces oxygen into the airway under pressure.

Although it serves its purpose, the CPAP almost seems medieval. Not only is it very encumbering, it limits movement during sleep and can make it
difficult to sleep. For these reasons, it is estimated that nearly 50% of CPAP users drop out of treatment. Regardless, John tried the CPAP and
struggled to become used to it. On top of that, he experienced leaks in the mask and needed to go back for several adjustments. Finally, he admitted, “I
knew this was never going to work. I wasn't getting much more sleep than i was before because of the awkwardness of the CPAP. I'd often end up taking it off during the night for frustration.

Because one’s tongue, tonsils and soft palate are directly related to night-time breathing, involvement of specially trained dentists has become beneficial to treating many Sleep Apnea sufferers. With the results of John’s sleep study and interaction with his physician, Dr. Barbat was able to develop alternative treatment, one that was comfortable, convenient and effective at the same time.
Dr. Ban Barbat began by creating a custom- made mouthpiece for him at her Michigan Cosmetic Dental Office and He sleeps SOUNDLY & COMFORTABLY now!

Dr. Mahmood states "Type 2 diabetes is a multi-factorial disorder. REM-related OSA and its metabolic effects need to be investigated in more depth, and this can provide another unique avenue for intervention and control of type 2 diabetes." The prevalence of type two diabetes was 30.1 percent in patients with OSA compared to 18.6 percent in patients without OSA

"We believe that REM-related OSA is a marker of early OSA, especially in women and patients younger than 55 years," Mahmood noted in a prepared statement. "Generally, OSA is worse in REM sleep compared to non-REM sleep because of neurologically mediated impairment of skeletal muscles of upper airway and ventilation. This may be the reason for closer association of REM-related OSA and type 2 diabetes."

Does your signifigant other complain about your snoring? Do you wake up in the morning feeling drained and unrested? Dr. Ban Barbat may be able to help. OSA also know as sleep apnea is a serious problem that your dentist can help you with.

Source: Reuters

"OSAS can lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, all side effects which can negatively impact a person's ability to golf to the best of one's ability." said Marc L. Benton, MD, FCCP, Atlantic Sleep and Pulmonary Associates, Madison, NJ. "As any golfer knows, when your ability to think clearly or make good decisions is compromised, the likelihood of playing your best is greatly diminished," said Dr. Benton. "Through treatment with NPAP, we can improve many cognitive metrics, such as attention span, memory, decision-making abilities, and frustration management, which may, in turn, positively affect a person's golf game."

Study resultes showed that the best golfers, defined as HI <12, had the most substantial improvements in their game. Within this group, the average HI dropped from 9.2 (+/- 2.9) to 6.3 (+/- 3.0); the SQ score from 10.8 (+/- 1.9), to 2.8 (+/- 2.6).

"The biggest handicap improvements occurred in the lower handicap, often older golfers. This group typically would be expected to trend in the opposite direction due to age-related deterioration in strength and endurance," said Mr. Friedman. "The drop in handicap among the better golfers probably reflected that the major limiting factor was not golf skill but cognitive compromise that improved when the sleep apnea was treated."

Dr. Ban R. Barbat, a dentist in the greater Detroit area, can help improve not only your golf swing but your quality of life.