Questions about Snoring and Sleep Apnea

What is Snoring?

Is snoring simply an innocent by product of sleep? Is snoring just an annoyance to a bed partner, and of no consequence to the one who snores?

To answer the questions above, all depends on the severity of the snoring. Virtually all of us snore from time to time. In fact, it is estimated that at least 50% of the world snores and out of that 50% at least 40% have some form of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). These numbers continue to grow everyday and the public is becoming more and more aware of the dangers associated with snoring. For some, snoring is no more than an occasional, inconvenient habit; but chronic heavy snoring can be more serious. 

Why do I snore?

Snoring usually occurs when your tongue and the tissues around the back of the throat relax during sleep. This relaxation causes the tongue and the soft palatal area to fall back and block (obstruct) your airway. This blockage reduces the amount of air going into your body. Your body realizes this reduction in airflow, panics and increases the velocity of air entering your body. The increase in airflow velocity causes the fine tissues in your throat to vibrate and cause the snoring noise. This cause of simple snoring covers 90 percent of the world’s snorers, the remaining 10 percent of the population snore, due to some form of nasal obstruction. For example, chronic and/or seasonal allergies, and deviated septum or a broken nose may cause a snoring problem.
 

What is Sleep Apnea and is it dangerous?

Apnea, a Greek word meaning “without breath” describes a syndrome familiar to most people as snoring. Apnea refers to the subsequent cessation of breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea earned its name when breathing actually stops for ten (10) seconds to a minute or more. This is called an apneic event. This apneic event occurs when the upper airway passage is blocked, or obstructed. This obstruction is due to the relaxation of the muscles, tissues and tongue surrounding the pharynx during sleep, causing them to collapse. For this reason, it is commonly referred to by those in the medical profession as Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA, this is the most common form of apnea. 

Another form of apnea is Central Sleep Apnea. With Central Sleep Apnea, breathing simply stops during sleep and is resumed only when a patient awakens. In Central Sleep Apnea alone there is no obstruction, however sometimes Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea can occur together, this is referred to as Mixed Apnea.

Is sleep apnea dangerous?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea  is the second leading cause of stroke in men and the fourth leading cause of cardiac arrest in women. Nearly forty (40) percent of the world’s population has some form of sleep apnea.

What is the TheraSnore and how does it work?

Distar offers a variety of oral appliances to treat snoring and sleep apnea; though they all operate on the same premise, to keep the airway open while asleep

The TheraSnore appliances are custom fits devices that resemble an athletic mouth guard and are worn while sleeping. The TheraSnore eliminates or greatly reduces the snoring noise in patients and helps to keep the airway open.

When a snorer wears the TheraSnore appliance it gently moves the lower jaw (mandible) forward. With the lower jaw forward, even slightly,  the tongue will follow forward and the tissues around the soft palatal tissues can not retrude and obstruct the airway. In other words, you get more air and you don’t snore.

This image shows the obstructed airway.	This image shows how the TheraSnore maintains an open upper airway. (Adjustable TheraSnore pictured)

Does it work?

TheraSnore appliances have shown to be 87-93% effective in treating simple snoring and mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

How long does the appliance last?
The average life span of the TheraSnore appliance is 18-24 months. However if proper care is taken and the appliance is kept clean, it can last much longer. Patients wearing the Adjustable TheraSnore and who heavily grind their teeth may lessen the life of the appliance and the Original TheraSnore may be a better option for these patients.