Treat Blood Pressure By Treating Apnea

A patient walked in to see me last week, middle aged gentleman, energetic, talkative, friendly. Not the least bit stressed-out from all outward appearances. But his blood pressure was 210/130!  His readings came down modestly as we sat and talked.  But I booked him a visit at his primar care doctor's office before he left. Upon examination, I recognized he had lots of risky physical characteristics and a positive history for sleep breathing obstruction. I told him he could manage his blood pressure by managing his breathing.  His eyebrows went up.

It's true--blood pressures are reduced in patients treat their obstructive sleep apnea. The atricle I attached goes on to describe the study was performed with patients using oral appliance therapy.

I am a member of the AADSM--The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.  Call today to begin your treatment.

Apnea and Obesity

It is estimated that 1 in 5 people (both adults and children) in the US have some form of sleep disrodered breathing. One of the major contributing factors is obesity. Obesity creates redundant neck and midsection fat deposits and can constrict the airway.  The interesting data is that obstructive apnea has risen across the nation over the past several decades along with obesity. The following images track the trend in national obesity.

Sugar For Kids = Tooth Decay, Obesity, Apnea, Etc.

Yet another recent study connecting childhood obesity to sugar-containing beverages has been released.

I established how detrimental sugar is in a previous post.  But what stems from sugar beverages goes beyond tooth decay for me.  My experience with overweight kids is that they are significantly more likely to develop obstructive breathing disorder, or apnea. This breathing disease is likely to occur before adulthood in moderate to morbidly obese kids.  The Academy for Dental Sleep Medicine has really opened my eyes to the global significance of pediatric apnea.

When I see apneic patients, I almost always witness some element of tooth grinding or TMJ problem.  It's not consistently problematic in all apneic kids or adults, but there is usually one or more of the following issues we see: uncommonly sore jaw and head muscles, abnormal tooth wear, and sometimes TMJ joint pain. None of those things are common problems for children. ANd they are simply abnormal signs for people in general.

The literature has conflicted over the years about the connections between apnea and tooth grinding (also known as bruxism), but I know there is a relationship between obesity and tooth grinding.  And the sleep study summaries come back on these teeth grinders describing obstructive apnea.

But the main point of this post is this: Don't let your kids become obese.  There are a number of different diseases that will stem from a poorly governed diet and lifestyle for your kids.

If you have questions about managing childhood obesity, pediatric apnea, tooth decay, or nutritional choices for your children, please do not wait for a pediatric medical clinic visit. Call us for a consultation.