Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)/Snoring

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Sleep and health are highly correlated and vitally important if we want to live a happy and healthy life. So often, we blame our poor sleep on busy lifestyles, too much time in front of screens, and lack of self care. These lifestyle factors do contribute to lack of healthy and restful sleep, but oftentimes there is a physical condition that is causing poor sleep and impacting your overall health. 

What Is Snoring?

Snoring is a very common condition where the patient experiences vibrations in the throat region while they are asleep due to partially blocked airways. The noise is heard due to the air flowing through narrowed airways while they are sleeping. This can happen due to various issues, such as a narrow airway, awkward sleeping positions, etc., thus causing blockages in the airway.

Snoring in children and adults:

Snoring is the sound caused by vibrations in the upper airways of the respiratory system due to the obstruction of air movement while sleeping. Your child’s gentle snores or little squeaks may sound cute at night, but it’s possible that their snoring could be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder. 

Here are some common causes of snoring:

• Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids - Many children have enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a leading cause of snoring in children, and a strong indication of potential obstructive sleep apnea. The swollen glands contribute to blocked airways making it difficult for your child to breathe comfortably through the night.
• Respiratory Infections - If your child has a stuffy nose from a cold, or suffers from allergies, their snoring could be caused by an inflammatory or structural nasal or sinus blockage. Nasal blockages forces a child to breathe through their mouth which can lead to snoring.
• Deviated Septum - A deviated septum occurs when the airway of the two nostrils is offset or displaced. This makes breathing through the nose more difficult as one nostril’s passage is smaller than the other, reducing airflow and causing difficulty in breathing.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - Roughly 3% of children ages 1-9 have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. OSA is a serious condition in which airflow through the upper respiratory system becomes obstructed, making breathing extremely difficult. Children (and adults as well) who suffer from untreated OSA can have many associated health problems.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which the patient has trouble breathing during sleep. This can be caused due to the blockages in the airway. The airway can collapse during sleep, causing the patient to wake up abruptly. These interruptions in the sleep cycle forces the patient to wake up during the middle of sleep and increases stress and cortisol levels. Sleep apnea is a serious condition. However, sleep apnea isn’t the only breathing-related problem and symptom that can prevent you from getting the restful sleep you need. This group of conditions is known as “sleep disordered breathing”, and it includes symptoms ranging from excessive snoring to (Bruxism) teeth grinding to full blown obstructive sleep apnea.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is one modality of treatment for children and adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). 

Children and adults who suffer from untreated OSA can have many associated health problems such as high blood pressure, memory problems, heart problems, strokes, and increases insulin resistance. Orofacial myofunctional therapy helps to promote positive changes in the musculature of the face and mouth.

How Bad Is Sleep Disordered Breathing?

People who chronically experience sleep disordered breathing may have their sleep patterns disrupted night after night.

Lack of sleep isn’t just about being tired. It leads to serious health issues too. Sleep apnea in children has been linked to conditions such as ADD, reduced IQ, and developmental issues, and can even stunt a child’s physical growth. In adults, lack of sleep has been associated with a number of long-term problems involving chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Any of these can lead to a shorter and less enjoyable life.

Does Mouth Breathing Change Your Face?

Sleep apnea is directly linked to airway health, and a narrow airway is one of the biggest risk factors in developing obstructive sleep apnea. Children who habitually breathe through their mouth can experience changes in orofacial growth and development. Whether the child has developed a mouth breathing habit because of congestion or if they are mouth breathing secondary to an oral restriction (tongue tie), the impact remains the same. Kids who mouth breath often develop narrow palates and smaller jaws, along with a lack of forward facial growth, so their faces are longer and narrower.

Treatments for Sleep Apnea/Snoring

There are various more invasive treatment methods for sleep apnea, such as CPAP, mandibular advancement devices, etc., However, perhaps the most effective and comfortable treatment is myofunctional therapy. It is a treatment program consisting of simple yet functional exercises that retrain the muscles of the tongue and face that help with oral rest postures, breathing swallowing. When added to a treatment plan for Sleep Apnea, myofunctional therapy can be that missing puzzle piece.
 

Myofunctional therapy has been used by sleep specialists for many years now, owing to its effectiveness in improving breathing patterns and facilitating better sleep. Dentists utilize the expertise of myofunctional therapists in their treatment plans for their patients suffering from sleep apnea, as myofunctional therapy helps treat the dysfunctional reverse swallow pattern (tongue thrust).
 

Sleep Apnea Research & Myofunctional Therapy

A 2015 study titled “Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” looked at a number of previous studies and concluded:

"Current literature demonstrates that myofunctional therapy decreases apnea-hypopnea index by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children. Lowest oxygen saturations, snoring, and sleepiness outcomes improve in adults. Myofunctional therapy could serve as an adjunct to other obstructive sleep apnea treatments."
 

Myofunctional therapy is an incredibly effective component to any sleep apnea treatment plan. Myofunctional therapy helps strengthen the oral muscles that have been improperly functioning or weakened from improper use. Sleep-related health issues in patients often are a result of the dysfunctional muscles. Myofunctional therapy is a exercised-based treatment that re-strengthens and re-patterns these muscles. That’s why so many patients see improvement versus other sleep-enhancement options.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Myofunctional therapy is a great place to start and address a mouth breathing habit. The reason children can experience such profound developmental changes from a mouth breathing habit is that their bones and structure can be easily changed and influenced. With children and the right intervention, we can remodel their facial structure far more easily than we can in adults.

In Adults

Myofunctional therapy exercises can have a huge impact on adults too. In fact, some of my patients are in their 60’s and 70’s and they get great results as well. It’s never too late to address sleep apnea and other breathing or airway issues.

Please contact me for more info or to schedule a consultation