HEALTH & WELLNESS
When collapses occur, oxygen is kept from reaching your organs,
including your brain and heart. The brain forces you awake in order
for you to breathe; this act can happen so quickly you may not realize
it. The resulting fragmented sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness,
and, in several cases, this “suffocation” can last 60 to 90 seconds, up
to 500 times per night.
You can live three weeks without food, three days without water
but only three minutes without oxygen. Oxygen saturation is a major
component of obstructive sleep apnea. Repeated breathing
stoppages inhibit the body’s natural ability to process and maintain.
90 percent of stroke victims have obstructive sleep apnea – and heart
problems, such as heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension. Sleep apnea patients are also more likely to be involved in
accidents at the work place or while driving. Sleep apnea sufferers are
twice as likely to die in their sleep. If left untreated, severe sleep apnea
patients have a life expectancy of 55 years.
Further complicating the problem, most primary care practices are
not actively screening patients for obstructive sleep apnea, a gap that
leaves a huge void in the number of patients being identified with this
killer disease. d
Dormant dangers
Dr. Doblin graduated from the University of Missouri in 1972. He
held a successful dental practice for more than 37 years. Dr. Doblin
has been exclusively involved in treating snoring and obstructive
sleep apnea for the past five years. He is dedicated to educating
people and helping them sleep better. With two offices in Fair
Lawn and Trenton, he’s able to screen, evaluate and treat snoring
and sleep apnea.
In addition to snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep
apnea can cause memory loss, morning headaches, irritability,
depression, sexual dysfunction, hormone irregularity, type 2 diabetes,
impaired concentration and acid reflux, just to name a few
conditions. Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to cancer and
weight gain. Sleep apnea patients have a much higher risk of stroke –
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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