Absolutely. In more ways than one. Have you ever been kicked by your spouse in the middle of the night for snoring? Ya, it can cause a heart attack;)

Seriously though, snoring is a strong sign that a person’s airway has gotten too small and that they are more than likely suffering from both oxygen and nitric oxide deprivation which in turn starts a cascade of physiologic events that ultimately do result in heart attacks. This is especially true if their snoring is accompanied by periodic complete blockages called sleep apnea. This life-threatening problem affects 8 out of ten adults and explains why each of you knows at least one person who sleeps with a CPAP machine.

Other signs that a person probably has a constricted airway include crowded teeth or a history of orthodontic treatment, open unclosed lips, forward head posture, tooth clenching or bruxism, and sinus congestion.

And heart attacks are not the only possible consequence of a constricted airway. Stroke, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, obesity, ADHD, anxiety, and chronic fatigue are just some of the more common sequelae of snoring, sleep apnea, and upper airway resistance. The good news though is that there are now some very good ways to open your airway and finally get a good night’s sleep!

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Some of the simplest OTC treatments include nasal strips (like Breath Right), sinus lavage with something like a neti pot (or better yet a SinuPulse), or a tongue stabilizer (the Good Morning Snore Solution is one example). Even just taping your mouth shut can make a significant difference (try 1 inch 3M Medipore tape).

For mild snoring, OTC treatments may be all you need. For more moderate to severe problems though the current standard treatment is to sleep with a CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). These can literally be lifesavers. They do require a considerable amount of adaptation and adjustment though, are highly inconvenient, and many are simply unable to tolerate them. They also tend to decrease in effectiveness over time. And unfortunately, neither a CPAP nor any of those other options do anything to address the root causes of airway constriction. This includes the new Inspire tongue “pacemaker” implant you may have recently seen advertised.

The good news though is that we now do have natural treatment options that actually do treat the root causes of snoring and sleep apnea. The exact recommendation will depend on what those root causes are; each individual is different. And often times there are multiple root causes working in concert that will require a multi-pronged approach.
THE TEAM

This is why I’ve been working hard to put together a top notch team of airway experts to collaborate and provide the most comprehensive airway treatment anywhere. We’re calling ourselves Functional Sleep Medicine, and together we can address just about any airway, breathing, and sleep issue there is. Oral appliance therapy, dental arch expansion, myofunctional therapy, stress management, weight loss, allergies, upper cervical chiropractic, even CPAP if needed.

Obviously figuring out which treatment option(s) are indicated for any individual will need to start with a comprehensive evaluation to determine what specific root causes are in play. So, if you know that snoring or other sleep issues are a problem for you, or if you have other medical problems and want to find out if airway restriction is preventing you from full resolution, you owe it to yourself to call us right away and schedule a Comprehensive Airway Analysis.

WHAT TO DO

Do you snore? Do you have unresolved medical issues? Would you like to get off your medications? Are you sick of or refuse to start CPAP therapy? Or would you simply like to make sure you never get there? Give us a call. Sickness is not normal! Medications are not normal. Snoring is not normal. And you will never get well, or stay well, without a healthy airway.