Device Could Help Those with Sleep Apnea

If you find yourself snoring at night or even not being able to get a good night’s sleep, it could be a potentially serious health issue, but one that is preventable.

Dr. Charles Hawkins with the Zanesville Dental Sleep Medicine Center says sleep apnea is when you stop breathing at night for anywhere between 5 and 10 seconds. He says this is caused by the soft tissue in your throat closing your airway and ultimately not allowing you to properly breath.

"What happens is the body feels itself starting to choke because you stop breathing. Your oxygen level actually drops in your blood; the body picks that up and associates it with choking," Said Dr. Hawkins

So what do you do about it? Dr. Hawkins says there is a device, which he specializes in, that can be formed to your teeth and helps bring your lower jaw forward allowing more air to get into your lungs and sleep better.

"It’s actually something like CPR. It opens up the airway by bringing the lower jaw forward. Now we can’t fit this device until you have a sleep test and get diagnosed with sleep apnea or snoring," he said.

Dr. Hawkins says, if not treated, sleep apnea could potentially lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other serious health issues. He plans to hold an informational meeting open to the public about the health issue on May 12th at Eaglesticks from 6 to 8 PM.