Posted on 04/17/2024 12:28:49 PM PDT by Red Badger
The SomnoDent Flex®, the mandibular advancement device (MAD) used in the study. Somno Med AU
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Obstructive sleep apnea can cause or contribute to high blood pressure, so a new study examined which sleep apnea treatments – a CPAP machine or a mouthguard that keeps the airways open – was more effective at lowering blood pressure.
Medications are the first-line treatment for high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. However, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can cause and/or exacerbate hypertension, is being recognized as an underdiagnosed and modifiable risk factor. The most common sleep-rated breathing disorder, OSA is caused by the collapse of the upper airway during sleep, which leads to frequent sleep interruptions, up to 30 times an hour, all night long.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delivered via a face or nasal mask is often used to treat OSA. An alternative treatment is a mandibular advancement device or MAD. Similar to a bite guard, a MAD holds the lower jaw (mandible) and tongue forward, keeping the airway open. There are pros and cons for both. CPAP, while effective, tends to be uncomfortable, so it’s poorly tolerated. MADs are less intrusive, but studies have shown they’re outperformed by CPAP when it comes to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the number of times airflow fully (apnea) or partially (hypopnea) stops per hour during sleep.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Sydney conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of MAD and CPAP in reducing hypertension in patients with moderate-to-severe OSA.
(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...
CPAPing!..................
I’ve been using a mouth guard for about 18 months and it works great!
Can I ask what kind?
What brand?....................
Same here...custom molded by my dentist, and it wasn’t cheap. But I haven’t used the CPAP since.
Yes, please. Where did you get it?
I was talking to my dentist. They will make one custom but it is expensive. They advised that I get my primary provider order an at home sleep study first. That way my insurance may cover some of the cost of the mouth guard.
I have also seen several advertisements on Facebook. Everyone claims to be the best one made, blah, blah, blah.
I sleep with a mouth guard for my top teeth currently made by my dentist. It keeps me from grinding my lower front teeth. Which my dentist stated that 75% of the time was caused by sleep apnea.
I am also interested to learn what brand you use. I have been using a CPAP machine on and off for years, the “off” part mainly due to the fact that I absolutely cannot stand wearing the thing, and the noise anddiscomfort interfere with my ability to actually get a good night’s sleep, even if it does force air down my throat.
I started using a mouthguard a couple months ago - I’ve long refused to get a CPAP. The mouthguard combined with sleeping in a slightly elevated position has meant I wake up far less during the night and feel much more rested every morning.
I’m MAD as he**, and I can’t take CPAP anymore!
Somnomed Herbst
Somnomed Herbst
Somnomed Herbst
Thanks!..................
Everyone considering a mouthguard should get/borrow the little device (it clips on to the end of a finger) that measures the oxygen level in your blood. As long as it stays over 95% the whole night, then a mouthguard is fine. If not. . . .
The cheapest and most effective solution... Waking up.
That’s how I deal with it and I’ve had it all my life... 61 years, and so far... So good.
I imagine there’ll be a day... Maybe 20 or 30 years down the road when I won’t wake up... And that’ll be it. Until then, I’ll just spend my money on more useful things like cigarettes and alcohol.
I thought most people want to die peacefully in bed sleeping. That’s what I hear from most people. Isn’t that stopped by a CPAP?
I tried to get used to the CPAP and couldn’t sleep more than an hour at a time. Switched to a mouthpiece and have had it for 4 years. Much better, although I’m going to switch to a lower-profile device next year (insurance only pays for one every 5 years).
And you are basing that on...
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