Acid Reflux During the Night Can Be A Scary Experience
Dr . Charles Kravitz GERD Can Eat You Away ….
Have you ever woken in the middle of the night choking on acid because you ’ ve inhaled it and can ’ t breathe ?
Try taking in a breath and all you get is a burning in your throat and lungs . You try to expel it but it takes many tries and coughing , burning , burning . You panic , thinking , “ Am I going to die ?” You possibly could if you hadn ’ t woken up ! This is what people with GERD ( Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease ) experience many times if they have eaten a spicy meal , eaten too close to bedtime , did not raise their head higher than their body while sleeping , or have SLEEP APNEA .
As a victim of OSA ( Obstructive Sleep Apnea ) myself , I have experienced this nightmarish incident many times . Fortunately , as I received treatment for OSA , my Acid Reflux , and other systemic disorders , has subsided .
Sleep apnea , of course , is the cessation of breathing for over 10 seconds and up to 90 seconds , repeated many times while sleeping . Snoring is the warning alert .
SLEEP APNEA INFLUENCES ACID REFLUX
How it happens : During the cessations of breathing the body will increase its efforts to take in air . Abdominal contractions are exaggerated and increase until breathing resumes . The contractions squeeze the stomach and force acid up the esophagus . The efforts to breathe also increase a negative pressure in the esophagus which also pull up acid . Secondary effects of OSA , resulting from the GERD , are esophagus and larynx damage , aspiration pneumonia , permanent lung damage , tooth erosion , and tooth sensitivity .
Solutions : People may take medications to control symptoms of GERD , and this helps , but OSA ( obstructive sleep apnea ) can override the effects of the proton-pump inhibitor ( Omeprazole ), or other OTC drugs .
Patients in the dental office can be easily screened for OSA at the initial oral exam . Tooth erosion is one consequence , bruxism is another . A sleep questionnaire and other signs of sleep apnea will prompt the need for a HSS ( home sleep study ). This will determine the diagnosis of OSA and the severity . By treating the sleep apnea we can save teeth and possibly the patient ’ s life .
It ’ s so important to treat the sleep apnea for many reasons . GERD is just one of them . One out of 3 people have a sleep disorder . Everyone knows someone with sleep apnea and a story to tell about it . Shouldn ’ t we as dental professionals help our patients have healthier teeth and live longer ?
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Get involved for profit , prestige , and the great feeling of saving lives : Hygienists around the country are screening for OSA and dentists are treating it with oral appliances . They gain the satisfaction of truly helping patients , their family members and possibly themselves .
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