Greetings!

We hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and feeling renewed by the springtime air. The spring season launches a rejuvenation cycle that happens in nature and with people as well. Spring is a perfect time for hope and change.

For our wonderful patients, we hope that the refreshment of the season evolves into prioritizing health, feeling better and living your best. If you have been struggling with feelings of fatigue and exhaustion and suspect that your nighttime breathing might be less than ideal, this is the time to commit to making the change. Seek help by starting with evaluating your airway.

If you’ve been down that path already and have a prescribed treatment that you cannot tolerate, we encourage you to make a commitment to change the treatment.

Regretfully, the celebration of spring can also mean the presence of immune triggers reacting to the carried pollens in the air. This season can also be a haven for spring allergies. Please be aware of allergy sensitivities and the inflammation effects on the body.

Please call us today for more info if you suspect that you or loved one may be at sleep breathing risk!

Allergies and Sleep

Allergic rhinitis occurs when allergens in the air are breathed by a patient that is allergic to them, irritating and inflaming the nasal passages. Allergens may include dust mites, pollen, molds, or pet dander. In people who are allergic to them, these particles trigger the release of a chemical in the body that causes nasal congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. These symptoms can lead to poor sleep, which can result in significant daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

Allergic rhinitis (allergies) may occur year-round or seasonally. When it occurs seasonally it is usually caused by airborne particles from trees, grass, ragweed, or outdoor mold. Causes of year-round allergic rhinitis include indoor substances such as pet dander, indoor mold, cockroach and dust mites in bedding, mattresses, and carpeting.

Sleep problems are common in people with allergic rhinitis.  One study found that sleep is dramatically impaired by allergic symptoms and that the degree of impairment is related to the severity of those symptoms. In addition, sleep problems are linked with fatigue and daytime sleepiness as well as decreased productivity at work or
school, impaired learning and memory, depression, and a reduced quality of life.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep, is linked with allergic rhinitis. OSA occurs when
the muscles of the throat relax and fail to hold the airway open during sleep. People with OSA may suffer from severe daytime sleepiness and a range of chronic health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and sexual dysfunction. Nasal congestion, which causes the upper airway to narrow, increases the risk of both snoring and OSA among allergic rhinitis patients. The good news is that reducing nasal inflammation may reduce symptoms of snoring and OSA as well as daytime fatigue and sleepiness, according to at least one study. This is particularly important for those OSA patients who have trouble with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices because of nasal congestion.

With such a high rate of sleep disorders and other health problems among allergic rhinitis patients, getting adequate sleep on a regular basis is essential to maintaining physical and mental health as well as performance, safety, and overall well-being.

Sleep and Performance

The most immediate effect of sleep deprivation is sleepiness. In our daily lives, we may experience this as a general fatigue, lack of motivation, or even the experience of nodding off. In the research or clinical setting, scientists measure sleepiness using a variety of methods. After a period of sleep deprivation, there are noticeable changes in brain activity, as measured by an EEG. These changes correspond to a lower level of alertness and a general propensity to sleep. Any period of continual wakefulness beyond the typical 16 hours or so will generally lead to these measurable changes.

In addition to the feeling of sleepiness and changes in brain activity that accompany a night without sleep, other measures of performance are noticeably altered. Concentration, working memory, mathematical capacity, and logical reasoning are all aspects of cognitive function compromised by sleep deprivation. However, not all of these functions rely on the same regions of the brain, nor are they impacted by sleep deprivation to the same degree. For example, the region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for many higher-level cognitive functions and is particularly vulnerable to a lack of sleep. As a result, people who are sleep deprived will begin to show deficits in many tasks that require logical reasoning or complex thought. As the prevalence of inadequate sleep grows and the demands of the workplace change, it becomes increasingly critical that we recognize and take action to mitigate the impact that insufficient sleep has on our safety and well-being.

The Relationship between Sleep and Health

We all have some sense of the relationship between sleep and our ability to function throughout the day. After all, everyone has experienced the fatigue, bad mood, or lack of focus that so often follow a night of poor sleep. What many people do not realize is that a lack of sleep—especially on a regular basis—is associated with long-term health consequences, including chronic medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and that these conditions may lead to a shortened life expectancy. Additional research studies show that habitually sleeping more than nine hours is also associated with poor health. Researching the Link Between Sleep Duration and Chronic Disease
There are three main types of study that help us understand the links between sleep habits and the risk of developing certain diseases. The first type (called sleep deprivation studies) involves depriving healthy research volunteers of sleep and examining any short-term hysiological changes that could trigger disease. Such studies have revealed a variety of potentially harmful effects of sleep deprivation usually associated with increased stress, such as increased blood pressure, impaired control of blood glucose, and increased inflammation. The second type of research (called cross-sectional epidemiological studies) involves examining questionnaires that provide information about habitual sleep duration and the existence of a particular disease or group of diseases in large populations at one point in time. For example, both reduced and increased sleep duration, as reported on questionnaires, are linked with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. The third and most convincing type of evidence that long-term sleep habits are associated with the development of numerous diseases comes from tracking the sleep habits and disease patterns over long periods of time in individuals who are initially healthy (i.e., longitudinal epidemiological studies).

Example of a Sleep-Related Disease: Obesity

It has been recently determined that obesity is a medical disease. Insufficient sleep has also been linked to a high probability for weight gain. For example, studies have shown that people who habitually sleep less than six hours per night are much more likely to have a higher than average body mass index (BMI and that people who sleep eight hours have the lowest BMI. Sleep is now being seen as a potential risk factor for obesity along with the two most commonly identified risk factors: lack of exercise and overeating. Research into the mechanisms involved in regulating metabolism and appetite are beginning to explain what the connection between sleep and obesity might be.

During sleep, our bodies secrete hormones that help to control appetite, energy metabolism, and glucose processing. Obtaining too little sleep upsets the balance of these and other hormones. For example, poor sleep leads to an increase in the production of cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone.” Poor sleep is also associated with increases in the secretion of insulin following a meal. Insulin is a hormone that regulates glucose processing and promotes fat storage; higher levels of insulin are associated with weight gain, a risk factor for diabetes.

Insufficient sleep is also associated with lower levels of leptin, a hormone that alerts the brain that it has enough food, as well as higher levels of ghrelin, a biochemical that stimulates appetite. As a result, poor sleep may result in food cravings even after we have eaten an adequate number of calories. We may also be more likely to eat foods such as sweets that satisfy the craving for a quick energy boost. In addition, insufficient sleep may leave us too tired to burn off these extra calories with exercise.

Snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Snoring alone can be disruptive and a nuisance. Snoring + sleep apnea can be life threatening.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep breathing disorder that temporarily causes breathing to be suspended during sleep. A physical obstruction happens in the airway which limits the amount of oxygen needed to reach the lungs. In the process of attempting to breathe again due to the obstruction, loud snoring or choking noises are heard.

The oxygen deprivation momentarily awakens a person from sleep. The cycle of waking and falling back to sleep is repeated a few times or hundreds of times throughout the night. The lack of oxygen can have long-term damaging effects such as the development of: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, pre-diabetes and diabetes and depression.

The airway obstruction is actually collapsing tissue in the back of the throat. This can be a result of the muscles of the upper airway relaxing during sleep. In “back sleepers” gravity can sometimes cause the tongue to fall back and obstruct the airway as well. In both situations the airway is narrowed or completely obstructed.

Snoring happens when the extra tissue in the back of the throat vibrates during the flow of breathing which produces the sounds of snoring. It is estimated that about 50% of people snore at some point during their lives. Snoring can be heredity and can increase as age advances. Occasional congestion from cold or allergies may also cause snoring.

Many people with sleep apnea suffer from issues of chronic fatigue, lack of concentration or focus. These are due to “unrestful” sleep resulting from the body unconsciously and repeatedly being awakened during the night because of the struggle for oxygen.

If you are unsure if the snoring you hear from a loved one is sleep apnea, look for correlating indicators such as excessive daytime sleepiness, gasping during sleep, pauses in breathing, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating, moodiness, irritability or depression and possibly frequent trips to the bathroom at night.

Testing for a sleep breathing disorder is critical to getting a loved one on the path of better health. If you or someone you know experiences any of the other symptoms or indicators that may suggestion the play of sleep apnea, please contact us immediately for help.

Remember that while snoring is annoying, sleep apnea is life threatening.

Most people can differentiate between sunny, rainy or foggy days. However for almost 15% of adult Americans who live with untreated sleep apnea, the days can start to blend into one and another and
all seem foggy. Each day is a struggle — with energy, focus, stamina, health, memory, relationships, work, nutrition, fitness, and so on.  Many times these individuals feel drained and are left with an overwhelming feeling of muddling through each day. As a result, this can leave little room for anything more, let alone a spirit of thankfulness.

When a person’s daily ambition is to “just get through the day”, it is tough to feel thankful.  It can also be hard to accept what your loved ones are saying about your sleeping patterns and chronic snoring. However, if you have people in your life who care for you enough to address a potential problem, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Knowing that someone has witnessed your breathing stopping at night, could be the first step in saving your life.

Struggling to breathe at night is a sure sign that there is something very wrong. Snoring (excessively) can also be a significant indicator to sleep apnea. The good news is, a potential problem has been identified and you can do something about it to be on your way to better health.

What you also should know is that you are not alone. We mentioned how many Americans are estimated to have sleep apnea but did you know that almost 85% of that group remains undiagnosed?
It’s time to be thankful for the awareness of a potential problem and that you perhaps have people in your life that really care for you.

As long as we’re making a list of things to appreciate, let’s talk about treatment options. Thank goodness for options! For many people, CPAP therapy is great solution. For others, an oral appliance is terrific option and has been proven to be very successful for people. (What’s even better is that oral appliances make traveling a breeze.) Weight loss can also help tremendously. In addition, surgery is sometimes an option for certain people.

Now that we’ve discussed the foggy state of perpetual exhaustion from untreated sleep apnea, coming
out of that fog, and reflecting on what to be thankful for, take a look at this simple French definition we came across for the word gratitude.  “Gratitude = a lively sense of future benefit.” If we can contemplate thankfulness from this perspective, we can start to see how someone’s future can highly benefit from
taking the next steps to achieving better health — testing and treatment.

If you or someone you know exhibit signs of sleep apnea, such as daytime fatigue and/or chronic snoring, call our office today for an appointment. If loved ones express their concern with your sleeping patterns and snoring, THANK THEM and seek testing immediately. Sleep apnea can be a life threatening sleep breathing disorder that should not be ignored.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you may be getting ready for some big fat kisses to come your way!

So even though at the office of Michel Dental, we’re concerned about cavities, gum disease, bad breath and lots of saliva, we won’t use this month’s blog entry to gross you out about kissing.  But we will tell you some interesting facts that you can tell your kissing partner right after they smack one on you!!

Anthropologists have argued for years about the origin of kissing.  Many now believe that it has evolved from the time when mothers chewed food for their babies and then went mouth to mouth at feeding time.  (Well, okay – we might gross you out a little bit!)  This action became so comforting to babies that the habit continued even after they could chew for themselves, and then developed into a sign of affection.

Nowadays kisses aren’t just about romantic love.  Of course parents kiss their children.  Worshippers often kiss religious artifacts.  Some people kiss the ground when exiting an airplane.  And who doesn’t want to have a “boo boo” kissed when they get a bruise?

But February 14^th is a day for the romantic kind of kiss, and if you are craving one, there may be a scientific reason.  While this action can promote a psychological response of warmth and affection, it also causes your brain to secrete some important and productive chemicals, such as:

• Oxytocin, which helps people develop feelings of attachment, devotion and affection for one another.
• Dopamine, which plays a role in the brain’s processing of emotions, pleasure and pain
• Serotonin, which affects a person’s mood and feelings
• Adrenaline, which increases heart rate and plays a role in your body’s fight-or-flight response

But along with that, when you kiss, hundreds or even millions of bacterial colonies are transported from one mouth to the other.  And let’s face it – no one wants to kiss a person who has poor oral hygiene, bad breath, or just a generally yucky mouth.  So let’s start with the basics:

• Make sure you brush at least twice a day with a soft toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste.
• Floss once per day – if you have trouble flossing or are not sure how, please ask!  We’ll be glad to show you the ropes.
• Avoid sugary and acid-laden foods such as soft drinks, sports drinks, and candy.  (Okay – we won’t tell anyone if you have a tiny bit of candy on Valentine’s Day!)
• Eat a well balanced diet including lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, nuts and fiber.
• If you need to slip in a piece of gum or breath mint, make sure it contains Xylitol, which has been proven to reduce tooth decay.
• Drink plenty of water!  This helps to rinse away food particles, and staying hydrated is good for fresh clean breath.
• See your dentist on a regular basis and call immediately if you suspect there are any problems with your oral condition.

Here at the office of Michel Dental, we want you to have a kissable February 14^th and a lifetime of excellent dental health.  If you have any questions or need to set up an appointment, please give us a call at 785-273-0801.  We are here for you!

Consider this blog your news resource for information about oral health, dental procedures and technology, and what’s happening at your dentist’s office. We believe communication is key to building great doctor-patient relationships, and this dental blog is intended to keep us in touch with you. The best part is, you can simply bookmark this page in your browser, then visit whenever you like! Stay tuned for regular posts that will keep you informed.

If you need to schedule an appointment or are “interviewing” us as your potential new dental provider, call today! You may also want to review information about us here.