Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Prevent Ocular and Systemic Ravages, According to a Recent University of North Carolina Study
Dental Sleep Medicine education company, Sleep Group Solutions partner with leading Dentists to overcome dangerous side effects associated with OSA. Upcoming lectures in Sleep Disorders Dentistry include Indianapolis, Orlando and Houston.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common and frequently unrecognized disorder. It is often found in patients with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and there is growing evidence that sleep apnea is independently associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. A recent study by the University of North Carolina, also adds ocular diseases to the long list of dangerous OSA associations. Dental Sleep Medicine education company, Sleep Group Solutions, instructs dentists on identifying OSA and provides protocols for treatment. Upcoming courses include Indianapolis, Orlando and Houston.
It is estimated that as many as 24 percent of Caucasian men and 9 percent of Caucasian women in the United States have OSA, though many of these cases remain undiagnosed. Numerous ocular disorders have been found to be more prevalent in patients with OSA, including floppy eyelid syndrome, glaucoma, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and papilledema with raised intracranial pressure. Dentists around the world are being trained on how to treat these patients, commonly using oral devices, which keep the airway open, to allow oxygen in. “It’s encouraging to see our Ophthalmologist colleagues in the battle against Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Doctors of all disciplines are becoming more aware of the manifestations of OSA and they are adding to public awareness. That’s a great thing.” says Dr. Charles Kravitz, a dentist and dental sleep medicine education advocate in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. “The incidence of several ocular disorders associated with OSA is highlighted in this report from UNC. While the etiologies of the various sight-threatening disorders may be inconclusive, the prevalence of OSA suggests a strong correlation. More research will be welcomed.”
Obstructive sleep apnea is a diagnosis that dentists can screen for when a patient presents with certain risk factors. Recent literature provides strong data for associations between sleep apnea and ocular disorders. For dentists looking to learn more about OSA, the Sleep Group Solutions program is coming to Indianapolis, Orlando, and Houston. Please log onto sleepgs.com for more information.
About Sleep Group Solution
Sleep Group Solutions is an airway diagnostic technology company serving the needs of physicians and dentists interested in screening, diagnosing and treating sleep apnea and other upper airway disorders. Sleep Group Solutions offers the latest screening and diagnostic equipment solutions for patients with allergy, sinus congestion, rhinitis, deviated septum, nasal polyps, snoring and sleep apnea. SGS offers the most comprehensive dental sleep medicine CE seminars in the industry focused on teaching dentists the protocols needed to make the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea part of their practice. Sleep Group Solutions offers sleep study interpretation, oral appliances (Norad Boil & Bite, Respire), online directory 1800SleepLab.com and online marketing for CPAP Intolerant patients. SGS is the manufacturer of the Eccovision Systems Rhinometer and Pharyngometer, and offers Home Sleep Testing devices from Watermark Medical.