You’d like to think that when you go to sleep at night along with the rest of the city of London, you are resting your body. Well that’s not quite the case, especially if you are obese, smoke and drink a lot, have an awful diet and poor oral hygiene. When the body sleeps, the automated services take over to regulate your breathing and the way your body pumps blood around your system, namely the lungs, heart and brain. If one of these starts to flounder for some reason, so do the other two. The way you breathe is imperative but sometimes, you can stop breathing and this throw the organs into confusion and if it happens it can put strain on the heart to keep the blood pumping; it can also pull you from a deep sleep to a shallow one causing the effects of drowsiness the next day as if you’ve had no sleep at all – this is sleep apnea and it’s a killer for the heart. You may be blissfully ignorant at first but when you wake, generally exhausted and maybe with headaches, but the oxygen in your blood will be low and this will still be a problem as you start the day when you find yourself tired and irritable. People who have suffered from heart and neurological problems are particularly at risk as the important factor that keep your body automated at night have been damaged in some way, blocking the natural flow between the heart lungs and brain.
Posts tagged “sleep apnea”
How Poor Sleep can hurt your Heart in the City of London
September 22nd, 2011Disrupted sleep might be caused by sleep apnea, say dentists in West London
August 17th, 2011
While you are sleeping, a lot is happening with your body. The positive is that you are recovering and resting, which is vital for you to be able to function the next day. Unfortunately, for some people, sleep is not always as smooth and trouble-free process as might be desirable. Snoring is a well known example of how sleep can be disrupted. Less well known is the condition known as sleep apnea. This article will explain how dentists can help with diagnosing it so you can deal with it properly.
Sleep apnea is what happens when the muscles at the back of your mouth relax too much during sleep. The immediate effect of this is that sufficient oxygen cannot get into your lungs and make its way to your brain. Sensitive to this (it’s part of what keeps humans and other creatures alive), the brain will send a signal to wake the body up so that more air can be taken in.
As a result of this, sufferers of sleep apnea will find that their sleep is very disruptive. What complicates things even further is that many sufferers don’t even know that they are waking up during the night as a result of sleep apnea. This can make it very hard to diagnose because patients might think they have had a good night asleep, only to find that they are severely fatigued during the day.
This is where the difficult effects that sleep apnea have on the lives of sufferers come in. Without the proper processes of recovery that sleep induces, people with sleep apnea can feel severely fatigued during their waking hours. Traffic accidents can ensue and accidents at work, not to mention the greater likelihood of heart attacks. With such close access to your mouth, your West London dentist can help diagnose sleep apnea by examining the rear of your mouth.
Find out about the links between sleep apnea and heart failure with City of London dentists
June 21st, 2011
Unfortunately sleep apnea has consequences for sufferers beyond simply disrupting their sleep. For those who haven’t heard of sleep apnea, it is a condition that causes people to wake up in the night when the supply of oxygen is restricted as a result of the muscles at the rear of the mouth relaxing inappropriately. The brain sends a signal to the body to come out of deep sleep if not enough air is getting through to the lungs.
Dentists can help to diagnose sleep apnea because they have privileged access to the rear of the mouth during their thorough six month check-ups that you hopefully attend. It is worth reporting to your dentist if you are finding that your sleep is being regularly disrupted and you are not sure why.
Sufferers will experience extreme fatigue during the day because of the disruption to sleep and they might find that they are more prone to accidents at work. The body relies on having a full, uninterrupted sleep on a regular basis and if it does not get this then hypertension can ensue. It is only a short step from hypertension to sufferers having an increased risk of heart failure.
Sleep apnea can be dealt with by wearing one of several inter oral devices (IODs) during sleep. These are worn in the mouth and basically make sure that your throat muscles cannot stop air getting through into the lungs. The improvements to the everyday lives of sufferers are palpable and the lowering of the risk of heart failure is most welcome. Talk to your City of London dentist next time you are in the surgery if you need to know more about sleep apnea.
Understanding Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure in the City of London
April 22nd, 2011
The body is an extremely complex unit and it’s only now that we are beginning to appreciate that if a problem arises in a seemingly clandestine area, it can cause problems all over. The perfect example of this is the connection between the brain, mouth, lungs and heart. If one of these units breaks down, it can lead to the other three struggling to maintain the status quo. And some of the biggest dangers arise during sleeping. The brain regulates the breathing during sleep; this in turns regulates the heart rate. Then the process reverses itself, from the heart back to the brain. With sleep apnea, this system breaks down if there is a break in the link. This can be caused by heart disease, or a neurological problem in the nervous system. These can still function as long as the air waves are open to the lungs. Most dentists will recommend mouth guards to ensure that this is kept free and snoring is reduced. Of course, if the other areas have problems, there is a breakdown in communication, resulting in breathing stopping for short periods of time that then makes the heart beat irregular and then panics the brain into sending signals back to the mouth lungs and heart. Consultations with dentists and sleep clinics can identify the extent of the condition and attempt to solve the problem; bear in mind that a lot of people die from this condition
Understanding sleep apnea at City of London dentist
September 26th, 2010
Many people confuse sleep apnea with snoring but in reality apnea is a lot more serious and can even be fatal in extreme circumstances. Snoring, as everyone knows, is the noise omitted when breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea on the other hand is the sound of someone completely stopping breathing during sleep. This can happen for two reasons: firstly, because the soft palate at the back of the throat has collapsed and blocked the airway and secondly because the respiratory part of the brain forgets to tell the lungs to breathe.
The first kind of apnea mentioned here is called obstructive sleep apnea and can be remedied by visiting your City of London dentist who will be able to diagnose the problem and then fit an appliance that can be worn during sleep to prevent this from happening. The other kind of apnea is central sleep apnea and is a more serious problems that may require more serious medical attention.
If sleep apnea is not treated it can be behind a whole series of medical problems ranging from stress, to anxiety to an inability to concentrate, especially among children. Sleep apnea also puts tremendous pressure on the heart and can cause heart problems and even heart attacks if the circumstance dictate.
This temporary cessation of breathing can happen several hundred times a night which as you can imagine doesn’t lead to a very good night’s sleep for you or anyone else that may be sleeping near you. To find out more make an appointment to talk to your dentist about the dangers of sleep apnea.
Know the dangers of heart failure – ask a London dentist
July 19th, 2010
You may be aware of the condition sleep apnea but what you might not know is that it has links to heart failure and even death. Many people confuse sleep apnea with snoring because of the similar noises made and because it occurs during sleep. But while snoring is the sound of partially obstructed breathing during sleep, sleep apnea is actually the complete cessation of breathing, which can put enormous strain on the heart.
There are two main types of sleep apnea. The first and most common is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and occurs when soft palate at the back of the throat collapses temporarily blocking the airway. This causes a choking sound as the body attempts to right the situation. This will usually happen after about twenty seconds but the process can repeat itself many times throughout the night. This can put great strain on the body and be the underlying cause of stress, fatigue and poor performance.
The other type of sleep apnea is called central sleep apnea (CSA) and is caused by a malfunction in the main respiratory area of the brain. The brain forgets to tell the lungs to breath again halting breathing for many seconds during sleep. Both kinds of apnea can cause heart problems and potentially life threatening heart failure.
The amazing thing is that many people are completely unaware that they have sleep apnea unless they have been told by a friend or loved one that they stop breathing during sleep. London dentists are able to treat certain types of sleep apnea and refer other cases to specialists so that the problem can be resolved. If you are constantly stressed or tired and don’t know why, make an appointment to see your dentist. It could help you to sleep well for the first time in years.
Learn the dangers of sleep apnea at Central London dentist
July 2nd, 2010
You may well have heard of sleep apnea. There has been a lot of coverage of this condition in the media over the last few years but many people are still confused about the exact nature of apnea, what causes it and how it can be treated.
The most important thing to realise is that sleep apnea is not simply the same as snoring or even a variant of it. Snoring is cause by soft tissue vibrating when breathing during sleep. Apnea is the complete cessation of breathing during sleep and the noise of choking associated with this. As you can see it is definitely a more serious problem than but there are two variants of sleep apnea that are very distinct.
The first is called obstructive sleep apnea and occurs when the airway becomes blocked by a collapsing soft palate at the back of the throat. This will eventually right itself after a few seconds but can happen many times during the course of a night. This is the less serious form of apnea and can usually be treated with an appliance from your dentist.
The other kind of apnea is called central sleep apnea and is concerned with an interruption in the central respiratory part of the brain, which forgets to send a message to the lungs to breath. As you can imagine this is a slightly more serious problem and needs more serious medical attention. Central sleep apnea can be the underlying cause of stress, anxiety, fatigue and in extreme cases, even death. If you are concerned about sleep apnea of any kind then you need to make an appointment with your Central London dentist to have the problem treated as soon as you can.
Break the link between sleep apnea and heart disease at City of London dentist
March 2nd, 2010Sleep apnea is a disorder that similar to snoring happens unconsciously during sleep and can be the source of misery to anyone who has to live with a sufferer. Like snorers, apnea sufferers are almost completely unaware that they are making any noise or suffering with the condition unless a loved one tells them.
However, sleep apnea has a slightly darker side than snoring. Whereas snoring is the sound of an obstruction in the airway when breathing, apnea is the sound a person makes when they have completely stopped breathing. This may happen several times during the night and in some cases hundreds of times. The cessation of breathing that causes apnea has two main causes. The most common is caused when the airway is blocked by a collapsing soft palate at the back of the throat. This temporarily stops the person breathing before it rights itself. This is known as obstructive sleep apnea. The other type of sleep apnea is called central sleep apnea and is caused when a malfunction in the main respiratory area of the brain forgets to send a message to the lungs to breath.
Sleep apnea can be the underlying cause of stress and anxiety in everyday life as it prevents the sufferer getting the necessary amount of proper sleep. More worryingly though is the fact that it can put an enormous strain on the heart which can lead to heart disease and even fatal heart attacks. If you or a loved one is suffering from sleep apnea it is important that they see a City of London dentist for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.
