Women...Hormones...What else ?

As published in MEDICAL NEWS TODAY May 2012:

Women, keep those toothbrushes and dental floss handy. A comprehensive review of women's health studies by Charlene Krejci, associate clinical professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, has shown a link between women's health issues and gum disease.

Across the ages, hormonal changes take place during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Krejci found female hormones that fluctuate throughout women's lives can change conditions in the mouth that allow bacteria to grow, enter the blood, and exacerbate certain health issues like bone loss, fetal death and pre-term births.

Her overview of the literature was reported in the article, "Women's Health: Periodontitis and its Relation to Hormonal Changes, Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Osteoporosis" in the May issue of Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry.

The Case Western Reserve University periodontist reviewed 61 journal articles with nearly 100 studies for a collective answer on whether hormones have a relationship to gum disease and specific women's health issues like preterm labor, bone loss, and the side effect of hormonal replacement therapy.

"There's definitely a gender-specific connection between women's hormones, gum disease, and specific health issues impacting women," Krejci said.

"Although women tend to take better care of their oral health than men, the main message is women need to be even more vigilant about maintaining healthy teeth and gums to prevent or lessen the severity of some of women-specific health issues," Krejci said.

In addition to the brushing and flossing daily regimen, Krejci recommends visiting the dentist at least every six months, and more if there are any gum problems found or women suffer from bone loss or are pregnant.

She added that it is widely known that hormones cause some women gum problems during pregnancy. Women already susceptible to gum disease before being pregnant, she advises, need to make sure that these oral problems are treated.

Although women were once discouraged from seeing the dentist while pregnant, she said that scaling and planing of the roots of teeth to eliminate some gum disease is now recommended during pregnancy for women. Severe gum disease requiring surgery is still generally postponed until after the baby's birth.

Gum disease begins with the build up of bacterial plaque on the teeth and under the gums. Untreated it can cause irritation and inflammation during which harmful and toxic byproducts are released. These toxins erode the bone that anchors teeth and cause breaks and bleeding in the gums.

New Findings On Sleep Apnea !

 
It has been determined that sleep apnea is much more common than once thought. It is not only potentially dangerous, but can be the blame for under-achievement. Finding an answer and proper treatment for a sleep disorder that has become commonplace, can change one's life and future.

Good Ole Dr. Walker has been receiving special training and working with local specialists on new cutting-edge treatments for sleep apnea. Sleeping with Darth Vader is not your only option!

Snoring accompanies sleep apnea, but not all snoring is apnea. Apnea disturbs sleep when something blocks the subject's breathing. This breathing hiatus, called an "apnea," may extend from a few seconds to over a minute, from five to thirty times per hour. The extended event in which apneas string together is called a "hypoapnea." Because it breaks the necessary sleep rhythms, it prevents the subject from normal dreaming patterns and results in profound fatigue and disturbance in the subject's waking hours.

A patient suffering from apnea may go years without receiving a diagnosis. And while it often sounds like snoring, it is not what it seems; if you suspect you may be suffering from apnea, you will need to check into a sleep center to receive a polysomnogram. A sleep center is a nonthreatening environment where the subject will be wired up before bed, and have a video camera record the sleep experience.

"Central (CSA), obstructive (OSA), and complex" manifest the three forms of sleep apnea. "Obstructive" comprises 84% of all apneas, and entails a breathing blockage, produces snores, and can be corrected with various treatments. Central apnea arises from a failure of respiratory action, and complex is a combination of the two. When an apnea goes untreated, the subject, being tired all the time, will probably underachieve at school or in a career. Therefore, if you feel tired and don't know why, get yourself checked.

Let us help you find answers, a sleep specialist, and get some sleep!