Is TMJ Causing My Headaches?

March 13, 2021

Many people fall victim to headaches for a multitude of reasons. In fact, according to the WHO, “Half to three-quarters of adults aged 18–65 years in the world have had a headache in the last year and, among those individuals, 30% or more have reported migraine.”

The only way to get rid of these awful, nuisances are to get to the bottom of what is causing them. One of the causes of your headaches could be TMJ. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome is a disorder of the jaw muscles and nerves caused by injury or inflammation to the temporomandibular joint.

How do you know if TMJ is causing your headaches or migraines? Make note of these signs next time your head is pounding.

Over-exertion of your jaw

Have you noticed that your headaches are more prominent after chewing tough food or gum, talking for lengthy periods of time, or any other intense jaw activities? Your headache may be related to TMJ. According to a study in the Journal of Pain, “Painful temporomandibular disorders were associated with a higher primary headache frequency.” Using your jaw just a little too much may trigger the headache.

 

Teeth Clenching

Do you clench your teeth before or after a headache? Let’s not rule out bruxism. Bruxism is unconsciously clenching or grinding your teeth while you’re awake or asleep. People who clench or grind their teeth (brux) during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and pauses in breathing (sleep apnea).

 

Try the “Pencil Test”

Although it’s not infallible, a way to test whether or not your TMJ is the cause of your headaches is to hold a pencil in your teeth while you’re experiencing the headache. If you feel relief or a reduction in pain, it could hint that TMJ is the root cause of your head pain.

 

If one or more of these signs are hitting home or if you’re finally looking for a solution to your headaches, contact Sleep Rehab for a TMJ consultation. We’re here for you.

Is Sleep Apena Hereditary?

February 10, 2021

A lot of health disorders originate from genetics, and you may be wondering if your Sleep Apnea is hereditary. It could be that you had a parent that struggled with sleeplessness and snoring and now that you’ve been formally diagnosed, it may have occurred to you that it could run through the family genes.

According to an article on healthline.org, “Research suggests that obstructive sleep apnea is about 40 percent attributable to genetics, which means it can be hereditary.” That is quite a large percentage, especially because the other 60 percent are attributed to environmental and/or lifestyle-related factors. In short, the more relatives you have with Sleep Apnea, the higher percentage that you will also have Sleep Apnea in your lifetime.

You may have children and are worried about passing Sleep Apnea along to them. The good news is that there is not a clear genetic link related to Sleep Apnea, but according to healthline.org, “Additionally, it’s been shown that obesity can have underlying genetic causes. Since obesity is a major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, this is an indirect way obstructive sleep apnea is hereditary.”

The important thing to know is that if you can keep your weight at a healthy number, the development or progress of this sleep disorder could subside. However, if you feel like you’ve tried everything and need a successful solution, at Sleep Rehab we offer a variety of non-invasive, non-surgical CPAP alternatives to treat Sleep Apnea.

You can’t choose your genes, but you can choose a solution to an inevitable problem, and we are here for you. Request an appointment at Sleep Rehab today.

Sleeping with Acid Reflux

November 11, 2020

Many people experience the occasional acid reflux, or more commonly referred to as, heartburn. Acid reflux can happen for a variety of reasons including smoking, drinking alcohol, ingesting a large meal or even being overweight. Those who have experienced this uncomfortable and unsettling feeling know that in time it will pass and learn how to avoid it from happening in the first place. However, if you have ongoing symptoms of acid reflux, as in more than twice a week, you may be diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Photo credit: The Best of Health UK

GERD, a chronic form of acid reflux, can greatly impact your quality of sleep. Unlike occasional acid reflux, it can contribute to Sleep Apnea. There are a few reasons for this. One, because of your horizontal position, the reflux causes the contents of your stomach to rise as high as the throat. The acid from your stomach will cause an intense burning sensation and an unsavory awakening. Secondly, according to an article published on NCBI, “The prevalence of GERD has been shown about 58-62% of patients with OSA, however, these results may all be confounded by obesity. Apnea may increase trans-diaphragmatic pressure and decrease intra-thoracic pressure, favoring GERD.” To put it more simply, Sleep Apnea, which causes respiratory pressure to change, can make it easier for reflux to occur.

To help alleviate acid reflux, you can start out by propping up your pillow to sleep more at an angle and work with gravity to make it more difficult for the reflux to reach your throat. Another tactic is using over-the-counter neutralizing medications like Tums and Pepto-Bismol. However, neither of those is going to get rid of your Sleep Apnea. Sign up for an appointment today to get a handle on the problem before it worsens!

 

Will a Sleep Apnea Appliance Work for Me?

August 8, 2018

Woman waking feeling restedNo treatment is right for every patient, but if you’re suffering from sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy can offer significant improvement in the quality and quantity of sleep. Many patients with sleep apnea struggle to adjust to treatment using the more traditional continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. For these patients and those who don’t achieve adequate improvement in sleep using CPAP alone, an oral appliance may provide effective treatment to help you get a good night’s sleep.
(more…)

Sleep Apnea Blog to Provide News and Information on Sleep Apnea and Snoring Solutions to North Dallas Residents

February 9, 2016

Filed under: Sleep Apnea,Uncategorized — Tags: , — drfedosky @ 5:43 pm

sleep apneaWelcome to the new blog for Sleep Rehab! This is the place we hope residents of Garland, Dallas, and Plano will visit frequently for the latest news about treating sleep apnea and snoring, as well as updates on what’s happening at our office. Dr. Keane Fedosky and the team at Sleep Rehab are here to help you get relief from snoring and sleep apnea with accurate diagnosis and treatment.

(more…)