A Currently concluded research study based on the large health insurance database revealed that people who’d suffered sudden deafness were more probable to have a previous diagnosis of sleep apnea than a comparison group without hearing loss.

Taiwanese health insurance data analysis revealed that the absolute difference is actually small: 1.7 percent of those with hearing loss had sleep apnea in comparison to 1.2 percent without hearing trouble.

The health records of nearly one million Taiwanese evaluated by Dr. Jau-Jiuan Sheu, of Taipei Medical University Hospital. His team of researchers found that almost 3,200 had been diagnosed with sudden deafness between 2000 and 2008. Comparison was made with other five people of same age and sex without hearing loss. Out of those 19,000 people in total, 240 had been diagnosed with sleep apnea before the episode of sudden deafness occurred. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ DEARBORN, MI/ January 28, 2012 /PressRelease/ — Patients suffering from sleep apnea and snoring can now seek treatment from Dr. Bruce Luria, Dearborn dentist. Dr. Bruce Luria is currently a member of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and is pleased to share his expertise with other members of Luria & Birnholtz Family Dentistry and his patients to improve their quality of life.

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) is dedicated to the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders through use of oral appliance therapy. As part of the AADSM’s stated mission, Dr. Bruce Luria, Dearborn, MI dentist, works with his patients to create a positive public awareness of sleep disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in Dearborn.  Read the rest of this entry

A good night’s sleep may seem like a distant memory for many women. Whether the source of these nighttime battles is hormonal changes, a crazy schedule, a snoring spouse, less-than-stellar sleep habits, anxiety, or a multitude of other possibilities — some women not only have a hard time falling asleep — they have a hard time staying asleep and experiencing the level of restorative rest they need.

Ashley Sleep offers easy-to-follow tips for women who want to “do it all” so they can seize their day — every day:

1. Get moving. It’s no secret that exercise has many benefits. Not only can it improve health and physical appearance, some studies suggest that the time it takes to fall asleep may be closely linked with your level of physical activity during the day. That means taking part in more healthy physical activities could lead to a better night’s rest. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring was once considered a simple annoyance for bed partners, but there is a growing awareness in the medical community that the grunts and snorts of noisy sleepers can also be a sign of sleep apnea.

Testing can be a lucrative business, and labs have popped up in free-standing clinics and hospitals across the country. Over the past decade, the number of accredited sleep labs that test for the disorder has quadrupled, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

At the same time, insurer spending on the procedure has skyrocketed. Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General.

Dr. David Gross, medical director of the sleep lab at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., says more than three-quarters of the patients who come to his lab are diagnosed with sleep apnea. “We are spending more and more money on sleep testing and treatment,” he says.

It’s no secret that the sleep business can be lucrative for physicians. While many sleep centers offer comprehensive care for sleep disorders, others are largely focused on overnight sleep testing, according to Dr. Nancy Collop, president of the academy. “A lot of people have gotten into the sleep business specifically to do that procedure,” she says.

Another option is a home sleep test, which costs less than a fifth as much as a lab test, and is considered effective for most patients. Medicare began paying for home sleep tests in 2008, but the tests have had only modest growth.

Some insurers, including WellPoint, are changing the way they pay for sleep testing to curb the costs.  Those changes are now widespread among Massachusetts insurers and are having an effect on the sleep industry in the state. [ Read Complete Post ... ]

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes,  Sleep Apnea remains a growing health concern with an estimated 18 million  Americans suffering.  Sleep Group Solutions offers dental continuing education  courses, with an emphasis in Dental Sleep Medicine.  With a growing demand for  treatment, SGS is now offering an Advanced course to the dental community,  taught by Dr.  Daniel Tache, Diplomat of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the current  president of the Wisconsin Sleep Society and an instructor for Sleep Group  Solutions.

Now more than ever, dentists are seeking higher education to learn new skills  and protocols on proper treatment methods for snoring and sleep apnea.  Sleep  Group Solutions is currently the leader in dental continuing education for  Dental Sleep Medicine, offering over 60 courses in 2012.

Dentists such as Dr. Larry  Grillo in Aventura, Fl attended a course from SGS and currently is one of  the few dentists in the area screening and treating sleep apnea.  “Treating  obstructive sleep apnea impacts the systemic health of our patients more  significantly than almost any other service we provide. Read the rest of this entry

In the latest step of their national expansion campaign, The Snoring Center is pleased to announce the opening of a Chicago location on January 9. The company is the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic.

Dr. Victoria Brkovich, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist with years of clinical experience, has been appointed Medical Director of the Chicago office, located at Water Tower Place.

“I couldn’t be more honored to join The Snoring Center team,” said Dr. Brkovich. “The Snoring Center’s innovative approach and progressive treatment options have helped people from around the world to find healthy, restorative sleep, which is essential to physical and emotional well-being. The opening of our center gives more people access to convenient, effective snoring and sleep apnea treatment options.” Read the rest of this entry

One of the most common health disorders among people around the world is “sleep apnea”. In its simplest sense ‘sleep apnea’ can be understood as one or more pauses in normal breathing. In many cases the shallow breathing during sleep is also termed as ‘sleep apnea’.

A pause in normal breathing during sleep may have an undefined duration. Meaning thereby, the pause could be for a few seconds only or it can even stretch up to few minutes.

Similarly, the rate of occurrence of such pauses during sleep may also vary up to great ranges. It could be five times per hour or even up to 30 times an hour. Normal breathing generally starts immediately after such a pause but this re-start could generate a snoring or choking sound as well.

Once a person is a victim of ‘sleep apnea’ this disorder converts in to a chronic disorder slowly over the years. In majority of the cases people never realize that the ‘sleep apnea disorder’ has crept in their lives. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring is a global health problem in adults especially. Sleep experts believe that using an anti-snoring device is a better way to ease breathing and ensure that the body is getting enough rest.

But in addition to the help from a snoring device, there are a variety of ‘self-help’ techniques people can use to keep the air flowing. Here are seven extremely useful tips for people who snore loud;

1. Maintain a healthy weight
2. Establish a regular routine for sleep (i.e., the same bedtime every night)
3. Sleep on your side, rather than on your back
4. Avoid tranquilizers, antihistamines and sleeping pills
5. Do not drink alcohol for at least four hours before bedtime
6. Do not eat heavy meals or high-calorie snacks for at least three hours before bedtime
7. Consider an adjustable belt where you can tilt the head upwards four inches…or use pillows to achieve the same angle

Lee A. Surkin, MD is the first medical practice in the state of North Carolina to offer Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to patients in Greenville and throughout North Carolina. Cleared by the US FDA in 2008, Provent Therapy is a simple and effective new treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea. Provent Therapy utilizes the patient’s own breathing to provide clinically proven results in the treatment of OSA.

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is currently the gold standard for treatment of OSA and is extremely effective at treating OSA when worn as directed. However, up to half of all patients are not compliant with CPAP therapy due to the cumbersome nature of the treatment. Provent Therapy was developed to help patients who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy and may benefit from the small non-invasive and effective technology Provent Therapy provides. Read the rest of this entry

The Snoring Center’s Newport Beach office will open on January 9, 2012.The Snoring Center, the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic, announced its second California location, in Newport Beach.

“Healthy, restorative sleep is essential to physical and emotional well being. Snoring and sleep apnea are among the most common sleep disorders, interrupting sleep for literally millions of Americans. The Snoring Center’s innovative approach and progressive treatment options have helped people from around the world get a more peaceful night’s sleep. The opening of another center on the west coast gives more people convenient access to the minimally invasive, office-based snoring and sleep apnea treatment they need”,said Dr.Sharen Jeffries, the Medical Director of the Newport Beach office. Read the rest of this entry

The Snoring Center, the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic, announced the addition of a Gulf Coast center to open January 6.

“We continue to find innovative professionals like Dr. Weiss to join our team and help achieve our mission to change the way people think about snoring and other sleep-related disorders”

Dr. Ray Weiss, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist, will serve as Medical Director of the Snoring Center’s Ocean Spring location, serving patients along the Gulf Coast, from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I am proud to be able to bring relief to patients with the support of The Snoring Center,” said Dr. Weiss. “We are working to improve quality  of life for patients all over the world. Continuing to expand The Snoring Center team into new markets allows ease of access for the men and women seeking minimally invasive, office-based snoring and sleep apnea treatment, and I am glad to be a part of it.” Read the rest of this entry

Roughly 35 to 40 per cent of UAE residents have suffered from a sleep disorder at some point in their life. Many of the cases are related to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which interrupts normal breathing during sleep. The problem seems to get worse with another rising health threat in the UAE; obesity.

“Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a very common, serious, and unfortunately misdiagnosed condition,” says Dr. Amro Alastal, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Consultant, American Hospital Dubai. “In the UAE and wider GCC, OSA affects around 4 to 5 per cent of the population. This is an estimate based on the number of patients we see in our practice, but the definite number is still debatable as population-based studies are still lacking.” Read the rest of this entry

The Snoring Centera”, the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic, has opened an office in Los Angeles.

Dr. Marc Kayem, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist with years of experience treating snoring and sleep apnea, will serve as Medical Director of the Snoring Center’s Beverly Hills location.

“I am honored to join The Snoring Center. Their progressive and innovative approach to treating sleep disordered breathing has improved the lives of thousands of patients from around the world,” said Dr. Kayem. “In the past, patients would have to travel to Texas to visit The Snoring Center. It is exciting to watch our team expand into new markets in order to provide minimally invasive, office-based snoring and sleep apnea treatment to more men and women in need.” Read the rest of this entry

Snoring can have a major impact on those around you. Half of Americans snore, and the problem becomes more prevalent with an increase in weight and age, but it can occur in all populations—even in children. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea or another sleeping disorder; however, it is one of the warning signs.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep. Each pause in breathing, or apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes.

There are three forms of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea, meaning a combination of the first two. In central, breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort; in obstructive, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort, and snoring is common. Read the rest of this entry

If you’re suffering from sleep apnea and if you are also a habitual snorer a robotic polar bear pillow might be something worth checking out. It has been named as “Jukusui-kun”, and was developed by Wasaeda University’s Kabe Lab in Japan.

The major objective of developing this robotic polar bear pillow is to help those who suffer from sleep apnea and heavy snoring by gently tickling the user’s face.

By tickling the user’s face, this would cause the user to roll onto their side while remaining in a state of deep sleep, or so it has been reported. Rolling onto your side while sleeping has been said to help reduce snoring, so while some of us find it hard to actively sleep on our sides during a deep state of sleep, this is where Jukusui-kun comes in. Read the rest of this entry