Sleep Disorders Falling Under the Radar
Immediate Release: February 24, 2006
Sleep Apnea Sufferers are Seven Times More likely to be involved in a Car Accident.
Highland Park, IL - Imagine waking up suddenly every night. Not just once, but hundreds of times. For more than 20 million Americans with sleep apnea, the most common sleep disorder, it's real and real tiring. With over $100 billion in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property/environmental damage reported annually, its time to put the spotlight on sleep disorder treatments. Sleep Apnea is a curable health hazard and a public threat.
Maturing baby-boomers need to know that the incidence of sleep apnea increases with age and weight, 28% of men over age 65 suffer and post-menopausal women are at risk.
Chicago Sleep Apnea Dentist Ira Shapira (a pioneer of dental sleep medicine) is curing hundreds of sleep deprived Chicagoans who suffer from disruptive snoring and life threatening sleep apnea with custom night-use oral appliances that keep the airway open, ensuring a restful night sleep and lowering the patients' risk of stroke, heart disease, and sleep-related car accidents.
If you or a loved one has loud persistent snoring, daytime drowsiness, or a loss of concentration, talk with an experienced sleep medicine expert. Once diagnosed, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can be treated with a medical device known as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), through surgical options, or with effective dental appliances (There are 60 different appliances that Dr. Shapira utilizes to cure sleep apnea).
School teacher Mary Ann Punke was diagnosed with sleep apnea after learning from friends on a ski trip that she snored all night long:
"The TAP oral sleep appliance recommended by Dr. Shapira is comfortable and easy to sleep with - I no longer snore", comments Mary Ann Punke. "I sought out Dr. Shapira because the M.D. prescribed CPAP machine was cumbersome, noisy and ill fitted, making it ineffective. My husband, who also snored, paid a visit to Dr. Shapira to be fitted with an appliance after witnessing my success. Night times are now quiet and restful in our house."
Many at risk sleep apnea patients are surprised when Dr. Shapira warns them not to drive until treatment commences. They're not cognizant of their slowed responses and extreme sleepiness as compared to a healthy person:
"My sleep apnea patients are typically brought in by a family member exhausted by their loud snoring, the patient (typically a senior citizen) doesn't understand the risks of leaving this sleep disorder untreated." comments Dr. Shapira. "After being fitted with an oral appliance these same patients are just amazed at how much better they feel, at this moment - rested and alert- they comprehend the dangers of sleep apnea."
A charter member of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Shapira is one of the first credentialed dentists to treat snoring and sleep apnea. Over the past twenty years, this Sleep Medicine Expert has made significant contributions to the advancement of OSA dental treatments. Dr. Shapira is experienced in the use of more than 60 oral appliances, contributes the latest clinical research, and consults with the best dental sleep medicine experts worldwide.
For more information about sleep apnea and related disorders, contact Dr. Shapira at 847-623-5530 or visit www.delanydentalcare.com.
About Dr. Shapira
Ira L. Shapira, D.D.S., F.I.C.C.M.O. is principal of Delany Dental Care, Ltd., Highland Park, Illinois, and is also the Director of the Dental Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep and Behavior Medicine Institute and an member of the Advisory Board of the Sleep Medicine Center of Excellence. Dr. Shapira is credentialed in dental sleep medicine and a charter member of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (www.dentalsleepmed.org), a Diplomat of the Academy of Pain Management, and a Fellow of The International College of Craniomandibular Disorders.
Dr. Shapira completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Loyola University Chicago in 1977 and is a graduate of Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He is a member of in the Chicago Dental Society, American Dental Association, Illinois Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry, American Equilibration Society, and the Academy Craniofacial Pain.
Dr. Shapira enjoys leisure time with his wife, Elise, and anything to do with his two children. He collects animation art, travels, plays tennis, and is an avid reader.
Press Contact:
Meg Handlin
Project Manager
Hamilton/Saunderson
207-772-8158
meg@hamiltonsaunderson.com
