Little Rock, AR -- (SBWire) -- 05/06/2016 --Sleeping with a snoring bed partner can be annoying and unhealthy for both people. Although snoring seems physically harmless, it may be a red flag for a much more serious and sometimes fatal condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This happens when the air passage deflates, blocking airflow into the lungs. The harder one tries to breathe, the tighter the air passage seals.

The exhausting sleep apnea cycle starts out with a person falling asleep, the jaw relaxing and the air passage collapsing. Then the brain struggles to rouse itself before suffocation, the person unconsciously awakens with a gasp and then falls back to sleep only to start the cycle again.

The sleep apnea never-ending cycle…

- drifting off to sleep
- jaw relaxing
- air passage collapsing
- the brain's struggle to rouse itself before suffocation
- unconsciously waking up with a gasp
- going back to sleep only to start the cycle again

…may repeat itself fifty or even more times each hour during the night.

"What has been shown to be effective at silencing snoring and preventing OSA, is a lightweight oral dental device worn by the snorer like a mouthguard that I mold," explains Dr. Cloud. The snore-stopping appliance helps the snorer keep the lower jaw positioned slightly forward, preventing the airway from closing and stopping the vibration of the soft tissues.

Dr. John Cloud will conduct an examination to see what is causing the OSA. The anatomic structure and airway level, which are most commonly involved in obstruction, are the soft palate and the oropharynx (the part of the throat at the back of the mouth). The soft palate alone is the most common obstructed structure in mild OSA and the combination of the soft palate and the tongue base is more frequent in severe OSA.

"Everyone knows about the ugly results of second-hand smoke, but have you seen the news about how bad second-hand snoring can be for you?" asks Dr. Cloud. Given that snorers can produce nearly 80 decibels of sound, a bed partners' noisy rumbles are detrimental to the snorer and the bedmate.

Along with other disciplines in the medical field, dentistry is constantly evolving. To stay abreast of the continual updates and improvements, Dr. Cloud participates in advanced education opportunities on a regular basis.

To make an appointment with Dr. Cloud, call 501-868-3800.