ShapiraIHateCPAP Blog

ZeeAppnea is a new app available for most smartphones that can detect lapses and other changes in breathing that indicate sleep apnea. In a recent interview with Medgadget, the physician who developed ZeeAppnea said it was the only app-based screening tool for sleep apnea symptoms available. After downloading the app, users simply take earbuds with microphone capability and place them directly below the nostrils. The earbuds are held in place overnight by hooking the cords over the ears and affixing the cords to the cheeks with tape or an adhesive bandage. The first alert for someone with sleep apnea symptoms is often a significant other whose sleep suffers because of their partner’s… Read Full Post

Sleep Apnea is a serious medical disorder that puts patients at risk for numerous cardiovascular problems, endocrine problems including changes in Growth hormone, insulin resistance, thyroid hormone and cortisol levels. Other related problems include excessive tiredness, short term memory loss, cognitive problems, marital strife and severely increased risks of motor vehicle accidents. Sleep apnea is vastly underdiagnosed and currently it is thought that well over 90% of patients with sleep apnea remain undiagnosed. The guidelines for treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea include oral appliance therapy and CPAP as first line therapies.  Severe sleep apnea guidelines still recommend CPAP… Read Full Post

Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment Most stop snoring aids are uncomfortable, cumbersome, and unsightly. The Silent Knight Ring avoids all of these problems and has no side effects. It works on the principle of acupressure, a popular form of alternative healthcare based in ancient Chinese medicine. Skeptics may question its efficacy and underlying science, but it certainly can't hurt to give it a try. If you're not familiar with acupressure, you have probably heard of acupuncture. Acupressure uses the same pressure points and meridian lines in the body but uses pressure instead of needles. Acupuncture can be intimidating, and should be performed by a trained professional, but acupressure… Read Full Post

Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment Treatment of sleep apnea is well supported by research in the field of anti-aging. With the repeated disruption of the sleep cycle, patients feel the effects on many different levels, and experience hormonal imbalance as a result of the lack of rejuvenating sleep. Growth hormones are secreted during sleep, so disruption of sleep can lead to hormone imbalances and deficiencies. Even mild improvement can increase a patient's overall health and provide increased energy, improved memory and cognitive function, increased metabolism and alertness. With sleep improvement and healthy breathing, the heart is nourished properly and the increased heart attack and… Read Full Post

By Randolph E. Schmid, AP Science Writer Tues, Jan. 1 When Shakespeare called sleep the “chief nourisher of life’s feast,” he may have been well ahead of his time, medically at least.  Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center report that disrupting sleep damages the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, potentially raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. More than 18 million Americans have diabetes and the most common form is type 2, in which the body either becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough of it to regulate sugar in the bloodstream. In a small experiment, researchers led by Dr. Esra Tasali, an assistant professor of medicine, found… Read Full Post

Dr. Ira Shapira speaks at the University of Chicago Sleep Disorder Center January 26, 2007 Dr. Ira L. Shapira spoke at the Sleep Disorder Center on Friday, January 26, 2007 at the University of Chicago on treatment of sleep disorders with oral appliances instead of CPAP. Dr shapira taught the staff how to titrate oral appliances for the best results. Dr. Shapira is a pioneer in dental sleep medicine and has been working in the field for over 25 years. He was a charter member of the sleep disorder dental society which later beame the academy of dental sleep medicine. He was credentialed member of that group and is a diplomate of the american board of dental sleep medicine and a member of… Read Full Post

Vacation Light without CPAP Immediate Release: November 24, 2006 Oral Appliance Gives Air Travelers Fit-in-Pocket CPAP Alternative. Highland Park, IL - Listen up, all you CPAP carrying travelers and all of you snoring, sleep apnea sufferers (this sleep disorder affects nearly 1 and 8, according to the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine). There's a better alternative to packing a CPAP machine to treat your medical condition or purposely leaving it at home. You can be fitted with a lightweight discreet oral appliance that protects each breath without hoses, tubes, masks or plugs. With custom fitted oral appliances that can fit in your pocket, you eliminate the risk of damage, loss, delay… Read Full Post

Reduce Sleep Disturbances Aboriginal Didgeridoo Lessons Reduce Sleep Disturbances Immediate Release: August 30, 2006 Pioneer of Dental Sleep Medicine Dr. Ira Shapira Seeks Didgeridoo Instructor. Highland Park, IL -After reviewing a promising sleep apnea study published in the British Medical Journal, Chicago Dentist Ira Shapira (a pioneer of dental sleep medicine) purchased an Aboriginal musical instrument called a Didgeridoo, and is seeking an experienced Didgeridoo instructor to incorporate the playing of this ancient rhythmic wind instrument in his sleep apnea treatment program.… Read Full Post

Dealing with the Great Imposter By Ira Shapira, D.D.S., F.I.C.C.M.O. Mary has been in pain for over 28 years. She has dealt with headaches, facial pain, and neck pain for as long as she can remember and has seen every neurologist and pain specialist, massage therapist, and chiropractor she has heard about from friends. She lost track of all the medications she has tried. Joseph has had a problem with neck pain for over eight years after a car accident where there was almost no damage to his car. Chiropractic adjustments help for a few days at most. His snoring is heroic not only forcing his wife out of the bedroom but off the second floor and onto the couch downstairs. Sue is desperate… Read Full Post

Traveling with CPAP is Difficult Is it time to consider oral appliances for traveling? On August 4, 2007 the new government rules for TSA screening took effect. The new standards can be found at https://www.tsa.gov/travelers/sop/index.shtm The rules state that large electronics such as DVD players, video cameras that take cassettes and CPAP machines must be taken out of your luggage and placed in bins in the same manner as laptop computers. This is a major inconvenience for the business traveler who also takes a laptop and travels without checked luggage. There is concern that CPAP machines that supply air directly into the lungs can become contaminated when placed in the same bins that… Read Full Post