New research confirms what doctors have suspected all along According to new research conducted sleep apnoea does indeed raise the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The research lasted five years and 10,000 people participated. During the research 3 in 1000 people died every year of sudden heart failures. This is compared to 1 in 1000 in the general population who have sudden cardiac attacks. The problem with this research is that sleep apnoea has also been linked to obesity, diabetes and other general health conditions. This makes it difficult to tell which variable caused the cardiac arrest, although it is undeniable from the study that sleep apnoea sufferers do have a higher risk of cardiac complications. Snoring can be a precursor to sleep apnoea More than 40% of Australians snore. Snoring is a result of your airway muscles relaxing too much and therefore vibrating (which is what creates the noise) when the air passes in and out of the airway. Snoring can be a precursor to other sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea. What is Sleep Apnoea? Sleep apnoea is when a person experiences disturbed sleep as a result of an obstruction to their airway while they sleep. The reason behind this lack of airflow is collapsed tissue at the back of the throat blocking air to the lungs. This, in turn, causes a reduction of oxygen supplied to major organs like the heart and brain. Additionally, this lack of airflow increases the levels of carbon dioxide causing the body to wake up momentarily—and it can happen hundreds of times a night. If you think you might have sleep apnoea why not take our questionnaire to find out! Cardiac arrest is not the only negative effect of sleep apnoea Cardiac arrest is only one of the many serious conditions that sleep apnoea can cause. Other general health issues caused by sleep apnoea include: Alzheimer’s disease Stroke Congestive heart failure Workplace and driving accidents At Hyde Park Dental Care we can help treat Sleep Apnoea Here at our dental practice located in Hyde Park, Sydney we have an in-house sleep specialist who can diagnose sleep apnoea and rule out any other serious conditions. If you are evaluated and found positive for obstructive sleep apnoea we can treat the illness with our oral appliance therapy which has been seen to provide marked improvement for a large number of our patients. Oral Appliance Therapy Oral appliance therapy helps to keep the airway open and promote adequate air intake. This is achieved by a custom designed device that resembles a sports mouth guard and is worn while you sleep. The purpose of this device is to stop the collapse of the tongue and soft tissue at the back of the throat. Oral appliances can be used for both sleep apnoea and general snoring difficulties. For more information on sleep apnoea or the oral appliance therapy available at Hyde Park Dental practice located in Sydney, please do not hesitate to contact us. Don’t forget to share this via Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn.