In this time, many people around the U.S. are having difficulty getting quality sleep. Although this is common, some sleep conditions can actually make contracting COVID-19 more dangerous.
Take Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) for example. OSA is the most common form of sleep apnea.
“Frost & Sullivan estimates the prevalence of OSA to be 12% or 29.4 million of the U.S. adult population with nearly 80% of the population undiagnosed.”
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Recent research has shown that having OSA can make a COVID-19 infection more serious. Patients with OSA typically have a harder time maintaining healthy levels of oxygen and nitric oxide. This combination makes COVID-19 more dangerous. Since COVID-19 can also lead to lower oxygen levels, patients with OSA tend to dip into an unhealthy range more quickly, which can eventually lead to respiratory and organ failure.
A recent study found that “Among patients with COVID-19 infection, OSA was associated with increased risk of hospitalization and approximately double the risk of developing respiratory failure.”
The good news is that OSA is a condition that we can help treat. Dr. Kear is one of the most highly trained dentists in the area regarding sleep research. He is a member of the American Thoracic Society, the American Association of Dental Sleep Medicine, and has completed a year-long dental sleep medicine fellowship.
"Little did I know going to the dentist could really help with my sleep!"
Greentree Patient
If you have had issues with your sleep recently, give us a call at (614) 459-5511 to schedule a free sleep consultation today.
