April 22,2013

Aston Gardens hosted a lecture by Dr. Stephen Page entitled, “Breathe, Sleep and Live”. The lecture was attended by 21 residents, guest and staff.  This lecture and discussion brings an education and awareness about the health compromises that occur with fragmented sleep from Sleep Apnea.  Dr. Page presented current thoughts on causes, risk factors and treatments for Sleep Apnea.

The guests interacted with a number of questions, which Dr. Page encourages and answers.  Several people were currently using CPAP machines and wanted to know about the Oral Appliances.  Dr. Page stated that each patient is different and their individual sleep studies would identify which patients were good candidates for the Oral Appliances and which patients are better off on the CPAP machines if they can be compliant.

One individual and his wife inquired about getting him off of his CPAP. When asked about his apnea, his wife stated that he had Central Sleep Apnea.  Dr. Page said that Central Sleep Apnea is different from Obstructive Sleep Apnea in that the brain does not send a message to the diaphragm to “breathe”.  The body then does not inhale and an apnea event begins.  Central Sleep Apnea is best treated with the CPAP machine since there is no obstruction of the airway. 

Dr. Page encourages individuals to discuss their sleep concerns with either their primary care physician or their Dental Sleep trained dentist.  The collateral effects of chronic fatigue and low oxygen levels can significantly affect your quality of life.