january 2018
UARS and the brain
Greenstone health | 11
Do you sleep poorly? Are you constantly tired? UARS could be the cause...
I
often wish I can run up to someone and ask them whether they had a good
night’s rest. Mrs. Jo, Uncle Bob and Sam all have specific craniofacial
characteristics (even though they are not related: short narrow chin, flattish
nose, small mouth and classical long face syndrome). I am sure if I have
a closer look I will find a palate that is high and narrow and a mandible
that is in the back position. What are the odds that they have one thing in
common? UARS!
I ponder on the question: “Can you teach an old dog new tricks?” We used
to believe that learning and brain development was something better suited to
the young brain, but research has shown that the brain has incredible plasticity
and the ability to form new neural pathways, at any age. Learning new skills
about something you have done for years, demands a lot of concentration as you
consciously ‘unlearn’ old, bad habits and find new ways of doing it better and
more efficiently.
This may be of great value to many who are trapped in negative thought
patterns or behaviours caused by trauma, shock or severe stress. A very
traumatic experience can lead to severe anxiety or the inability to cope with
certain situations. This happens when the brain has associated a particular set of
experiences, or an environment, with the trauma. Certain techniques, such as brain
training with neuro-feedback, can teach the brain a new way to respond to these
stimuli and free the patient from the anxiety caused by the initial trauma.
UARS (Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome) is a sleep breathing disorder
that is characterised by abnormal resistance to breathing during sleep which can
lead to chronic fatigue and various other health issues. UARS causes all Somatic
syndromes, Insomnia, Fybromyalgia, IBS, TMI/Bruxism, Restless Legs and
Chronic Fatique Syn