Spotting A Candidate For Sleep Apnea Isn’t Always Easy

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Dr. Erin Elliott

The easiest way to find someone who would benefit from an oral appliance is to find people who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and won’t wear their C-PAP. But do you know how many tired people there are that haven’t been diagnosed? “It’s my thyroid”, “it’s vitamin D deficiency”, “it’s just snoring…” It’s no joke.

Talk to your doctor, talk to your dentist, schedule a consult with a sleep physician or myself. I have treated many middle-aged petite women that a doctor would never suspect would have sleep apnea, but their sleep study shows a different story. Even I am a snorer much to my husband’s dismay. A person’s airway can be compromised by so many more things than a thick neck. Make the connection! Being tired and exhausted is not how you need to live!