Father's Day - A perfect gift?

Father's Day is approaching and with it an abundance of ads for over-the-counter anti-snoring devices. Unfortunately many of the over-the-counter, available on the Internet "snoring cures" might give your loved one more than he expects.

Most of the OTC devices will stop snoring (as long as they stay in the mouth and as long as the jaw muscles don't hurt too much) but they will also stop the warning signs of apnea. You see one of the signals that a bed partner has that there is a serious problem with apnea is the sudden cessation of the sound of snoring itself. In an apneic episode, snoring continues and suddenly stops followed by an explosive gasp, a partial awakening and then a return to the same series of sounds. With the OTC devices those warning sounds are obliterated. Same with the nasal strips and the devices one puts in the nostrils.

And don't forget, medical research has shown a strong correlation between snoring and stroke so as my wife says "Snoring is much more than the punchline to a bad joke."

If a loved ones snores, get him or her screened by a qualified dentist or physician. His life depends on it.

Dr. Barsh