CPAP ALTERNATIVE SAVES LIVES ACCORDING TO DR IRA L SHAPIRA A DIPLOMATE OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF DENTAL SLEEP MEDICINE

    /24-7PressRelease/ - GURNEE, IL, August 22, 2008 - OBSTRUCTIVE sleep apnea is a serious disorder that is characterized by snoring and excessive sleepiness. . Newer research shows that patients with untreated sleep apnea have a higher risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. Short-term memory loss and decreased cognitive function is strongly correlated to sleep apnea. While snoring is often thought of as funny it is actually a warning sign of a life threatening disease. Patients with sleep apnea have a 600% increase in heart attacks and strokes. High blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, and type two diabetes are associated with sleep apnea. Studies have shown that patients with untreated sleep apnea have a six-fold increase in motor vehicle accidents and a 300% increase in accidents involving serious bodily injury.

IF YOU DO NOT USE YOUR CPAP TO TREAT YOUR APNEA YOU SHOULD PROTECT YOUR HEALTH AND FIND AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT! WWW.IHATECPAP.com is an excellent source to learn about cpap alternatives.

The gold standard of treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP or continuous positive air pressure. CPAP is extremely effective however it is not well tolerated by the majority of patients. Several studies have shown poor compliance with CPAP use, in fact only 23-45% of patients actually use their CPAP on a regular basis. Recent research has shown that most patients who use CPAP only wear it for 4-5 hours per day and not the recommended 7 1/2-8 hours. Oral appliances are a comfortable alternative to CPAP that treat sleep apnea without the hose, the mask or the compressor. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine endorses oral appliances as a first line treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea and an alternative treatment for severe sleep apnea when patients do not tolerate CPAP. Oral appliances have always been the preferred treatment for snoring. Studies by medical experts have shown CPAP and Oral Appliances to be superior to surgery for treating adult sleep apnea. Pediatric Sleep Apnea is best treated with Rapid Maxillary expansion orthodontic treatment combined with removal of tonsils and adenoids that obstruct the airway. Parents should never consider snoring benign in children.

Many patients who use CPAP do not take it when they travel because of the hassle. This could be a life-destroying act. Patients with apnea are more likely to have heart attacks or strokes when sleeping than when exercising.

Dr Ira L Shapira DABDSM, DAAPM, FICCMO is the founder of www.ihatecpap.com . He has been involved in research and treatment of sleep apnea since the early 1980's. He served as a visiting assistant professor at Rush Medical School's sleep disorder service. He did research in the relation between jaw position and sleep apnea and TMJ disorders. His research showed similarities in the jaw position and function of female TMJD patients and male sleep apneics. In the early 1980's almost all patients diagnosed with sleep apnea were male. We now know that many women suffer from sleep apnea and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. He returned to Rush as an assistant professor in the 1990's to treat patients.

Dr Shapira's initial interest in sleep apnea was largely because his 3-year old son Billy had sleep apnea but his pediatrician ignored Dr Shapira's concerns. When Billy was 5 years old he was held back from starting kindergarten and that prompted a visit to the sleep lab at Rush Medical School. Billy had severe sleep apnea and removal of tonsils was accomplished to open his airway. Billy became an "A" student after his sleep apnea was treated and actually graduated college with a double major, double minor, Magna Cum Laude. This would not have been the case if treatment were delayed. It is estimated based on current research that 80% of patients with ADHD have sleep apnea. These children are often treated with Ritalin when what they need is oxygen and good sleep. Children with sleep apnea have been shown to have delayed brain development and may have permanent brain impairment.

The first organized dental sleep medicine group was the Sleep Disorder Dental Society which was formed 17 years ago. Dr Ira Shapira was one of 20 dentists charter members from around the United States who founded the organization. He was already treating sleep apnea patients for several years by that time. He worked closely with Dr Charlie Samuelson a psychiatrist who invented the tongue-retaining device and was involved in neuromuscular dentistry and was one of the first dentists to utilize the Equalizer appliance. He became a credentialed member of the Sleep Disorder Dental Society, which later became the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr Shapira is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. He is also a Founding member of DOSA, the Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea. He is passionate about treating sleep disorders and chronic pain and TMJ disorders. He recognizes the connections between sleep disorders, chronic pain and stress and anxiety disorders. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that dentists treating obstructive sleep apnea be well versed in treating TMJ disorders. Dr Shapira is a Fellow and Regent of the International College of CranioMandibular Orthopedics and is a representative to the TMD alliance representing the most important TMJ treatment organizations. He is also a member of the Academy of Craniofacial pain and has been honored by their board.


Dr Shapira founded I HATE CPAP LLC to bring information about the dangers of sleep apnea to the public and to help patients who do not tolerate CPAP connect patients with Sleep Apnea Dentists. His website http://www.ihatecpap.com is the premiere site on dental sleep medicine and has had millions and millions of hits with patients often spending 30 minutes or more on the site. Every week his staff helps patients from around the country and the world connect with doctors who can improve their lives. Dr Susanne Schwarting a German dentist and Diplomate of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine reported seeing a patient from Zambia that found her after learning about dental sleep medicine on the I HATE CPAP site. Dr Shapira recently had a patient from Hong Kong that arranged to see him while she was in the U.S.


Dr Shapira does not hate CPAP and neither do the sleep apnea dentists around the country who offer comfortable oral appliance therapy to their patients. They recognize CPAP as an excellent method of treatment for patients who use it. The name of the company evolved because that was the number one comment patients made when they were seeking alternatives to CPAP. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine now recognizes oral appliance therapy as a first line treatment choice for mild to moderate sleep apnea and as an alternative to CPAP for severe apnea when patients do not tolerate CPAP. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine endorses the position of position of Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Sleep Apnea Dentists can be found @ www.ihatecpap.com

The National Sleep Foundation declared in SleepMatters its national Publication that "Oral Appliances are a therapy whose time has come". The American Sleep Apnea Association, the largest patient support group for patients with sleep apnea has also endorsed oral appliances as an alternative to CPAP. Also known as A.W.A.K.E. an acronym for Alert, Well, And Keeping Energetic published an article on the front page of their fall, 2007 newsletter an article titled "Taking a Bite Out of OSA; Oral appliances provide alternative therapy.

Patients with Sleep Apnea who are having problems or questions about their therapy will find the AWAKE group an excellent resource. Dave Hargett is the Chair of the Board of Directors and is a patient who originally formed the group. He has been happily using CPAP since his diagnosis but now recognizes the important part oral appliance therapy plays in overall treatment. The AWAKE group can be contacted at http://www.sleepapnea.org.

Sleep and Health Journal is an excellent reference for more information about sleep or Sleep Apnea. It is the largest patient oriented journal covering sleep topics. There are articles about how sleep affects general health and a host of information available only at this site. An article comparing CPAP to oral appliances and an article comparing appliances to surgery can be found at:
http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=130&tid=22

http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=55&tid=22

http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=topics&tid=22 has other dental sleep medicine articles

http://www.sleepandhealth.com has information on all aspects of sleep and all back issues are available free on line

http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=237&tid=22


Patients wanting to learn more about TMJ disorders, migraines, chronic daily headaches and neuromuscular dentistry can go to www.ihateheadaches.org

Dr Ira L Shapira is an author and section editor of Sleep and Health Journal, President of I HATE CPAP LLC, President Dato-TECH, and has a Dental Practice with his partner Dr Mark Amidei. He has recently formed Chicagoland Dental Sleep Medicine Associates. He is a Regent of ICCMO and its representative to the TMD Alliance, He was a founding and certified member of the Sleep Disorder Dental Society which became the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, A founding member of DOSA the Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, A Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management, a graduate of LVI. He is a former assistant professor at Rush Medical School's Sleep Service where he worked with Dr Rosalind Cartwright who is a founder of Sleep Medicine and Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr Shapira is a consultant to numerous sleep centers and teaches courses in Dental Sleep Medicine in his office to doctors from around the U.S. He is the Founder of I HATE CPAP LLC and http://www.ihatecpap.com Dr Shapira also holds several patents on methods and devices for the prophylactic minimally invasive early removal of wisdom teeth and collection of bone marrow and stem cells. Dr Shapira is a licensed general dentist in Illinois and Wisconsin.

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