Treating Sleep Apnea Helps Heart Failure Patients

Treating sleep apnea is important. Early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea may reduce the number of re-admissions for patients hospitalized with heart failure, according to research published online by the American Journal of Cardiology.

According to Dr. Sunil Sharma, an associate professor of pulmonary medicine in the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, “Physicians should be on the lookout for sleep apnea in patients with heart failure with the goal of diagnosing and treating early, which might help prevent readmissions and emergency room visits”. If you or a loved one has experienced hospitalization for heart failure you might want to ask your doctor about a sleep study to rule out obstructive sleep apnea.

Dr. Sharma’s research showed that patients compliant with their CPAP significantly reduced the patient’s risks for being readmitted to the hospital with a re-occurrence of congestive heart failure.

Treatment options

While CPAP is a wonderful treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, almost half of patients cannot tolerate sleeping with the masks, hoses and machine. Treating sleep apnea with an oral appliance has much higher rates of patients using the device to treat their apnea every night and all night long.

Using a CPAP or an Oral appliance to manage your obstructive sleep apnea can greatly reduce your risk for aggravating your cardiovascular system. Compliance is the key. Using your device every night is imperative for maintain a high quality of life and minimizing the hazards of Sleep Apnea!

Find out more about your options for comfortable, safe and effective sleep apnea treatment using oral appliances by contacting Florida Dental Sleep Disorders today at 1-844-MY-APNEA.