According to research from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), teeth grinding, or bruxism, and sleep apnea have a connection that goes far beyond being nocturnal nuisances. Researchers found that nearly one in four patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also suffer from sleep bruxism. This relationship is particularly common in men and Caucasians compared with women and other ethnic groups. “The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and sleep bruxism is usually related to an arousal response. The ending of an apneic event may be accompanied by a number of mouth phenomena, such as snoring, gasping, mumbles, and teeth grinding,” said Shyam Subramanian, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. “Men typically have more severe sleep apnea, and perhaps may have more arousal responses, which may explain the higher prevalence of teeth grinding in men.” Emotions also may play a part in this relationship, as sleep loss due to OSA may lead to high levels of anxiety, which is one of the main causes of bruxism.
Untreated bruxism can cause major dental damage, including excessive tooth wear or decay, jaw pain, and periodontal tissue damage. It can also cause individuals to experience headaches and sleep disturbances. “When treating sleep apnea, clinicians must also recognize and address secondary health conditions, such as bruxism, in order to fully manage a patient’s sleep disorder,” states Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, President of the ACCP. As dentists are the most qualified clinicians to diagnosis bruxism, individuals with OSA should schedule regular visits with their dentist to ensure that they are not grinding away at vital tooth structure late into the night.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Arthritis: Good dental health may ease pain
Still, there are new ways to help people with RA. One study of 40 people with severe RA who also had gum disease showed that when dental problems were treated, RA problems also improved, resulting in less arthritic pain, fewer swollen joints and reduced morning stiffness.
There's also new hope for the estimated 27 million Americans who have osteoarthritis, or OA, a painful and debilitating condition that causes loss of cartilage in weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips and spine. People who lost as little as 5% of their body weight reduced their risk of developing OA in the knees, a six-year study of 1,480 men and women age 45 and older found. For a 200-pound person, 5% is only 10 pounds; for a 150-pound person, it's just 7.5 pounds.
USA Weekend
Monday, January 25, 2010
Mother’s gum disease linked to infant's death
Pregnant woman's gingivitis caused baby to be stillborn, scientists say
By Linda Carroll
msnbc.com contributor
updated 6:43 a.m. MT, Fri., Jan. 22, 2010
Pregnant women with untreated gum disease may have more at stake than just their teeth. They may also be risking the lives of their babies, a new study shows.
Expectant mothers have long been warned that gum disease can cause a baby to be born prematurely or too small. But for the first time scientists have linked bacteria from a mother’s gums to an infection in a baby that was full-term but stillborn, according to the study which was published Thursday in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Scientists from Case Western University made the discovery after a 35-year-old California woman contacted them to help investigate the death of her baby. Earlier studies by the same researchers showed that an oral bacteria called Fusobacterium nucleatum could spread from the bloodstream to the placenta in mice. The woman wanted to know if it was possible in humans.
Bacteria from the mouth can easily get into the bloodstream once a woman's gums are bleeding, explains the study’s lead author Yiping Han, an associate professor of periodontics and pathology at Case Western University. Generally, this type of bacteria can be easily combated by the immune system of the mom-to-be, whether mouse or human. But because of special conditions that exist in the womb, the fetus can be more susceptible, Han suspects.
“Once the bacteria are in the blood, they can go almost anywhere,” Han says. “The placenta is an immuno-suppressed organ, compared to other organs like the liver and the spleen. And that makes it easy for the bacteria to colonize the placenta.”
The California woman told researchers that she had experienced heavy bleeding from her gums — a sign of gum disease — during her pregnancy. Bleeding gums aren’t unusual in pregnant women, with about 75 percent developing the condition due to normal hormonal changes. Mild gum disease can be treated simply by brushing and flossing more often. Pregnant women with more serious cases may need dental surgery.
Usually women’s uterine infections, which can harm a fetus, are caused by bacteria that work their way up from the vaginal canal, says Han. But the researchers detected a bacteria in the baby not typically found in the vaginal region. Plaque samples from the woman’s teeth were found to be positive for the exact same strain of the oral bacteria found in the dead baby’s stomach and lungs.
Women shouldn’t be overly alarmed by the new study, says Dr. Richard H. Beigi, an obstetric infectious disease specialist and an assistant professor of reproductive science at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“This is just one case,” he explained. “Most pregnant women have bleeding gums and most don’t have dead babies. This can happen, but it’s rare. And this finding doesn’t mean that it’s increasing.”
Still, Beigi says, it should serve as a reminder that pregnant women with bleeding gums should see a dentist to treat their gingivitis. Gingivitis can increase the risk of preterm birth anywhere from twice to seven times, studies indicate.
The new study underscores the importance of oral hygiene not only for pregnant women, but also for those contemplating pregnancy, says Dr. Michael Lu, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and public health at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.
“We know that gingivitis doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s important for women to enter pregnancy in good health,” Lu says. “I would love to see every woman who is contemplating pregnancy get pre-conception care that includes an oral-health check-up.”
Linda Carroll is a health and science writer living in New Jersey. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, Health magazine and SmartMoney.
© 2010 msnbc.com. Reprints
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34979552/ns/health-pregnancy/?gt1=43001
By Linda Carroll
msnbc.com contributor
updated 6:43 a.m. MT, Fri., Jan. 22, 2010
Pregnant women with untreated gum disease may have more at stake than just their teeth. They may also be risking the lives of their babies, a new study shows.
Expectant mothers have long been warned that gum disease can cause a baby to be born prematurely or too small. But for the first time scientists have linked bacteria from a mother’s gums to an infection in a baby that was full-term but stillborn, according to the study which was published Thursday in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Scientists from Case Western University made the discovery after a 35-year-old California woman contacted them to help investigate the death of her baby. Earlier studies by the same researchers showed that an oral bacteria called Fusobacterium nucleatum could spread from the bloodstream to the placenta in mice. The woman wanted to know if it was possible in humans.
Bacteria from the mouth can easily get into the bloodstream once a woman's gums are bleeding, explains the study’s lead author Yiping Han, an associate professor of periodontics and pathology at Case Western University. Generally, this type of bacteria can be easily combated by the immune system of the mom-to-be, whether mouse or human. But because of special conditions that exist in the womb, the fetus can be more susceptible, Han suspects.
“Once the bacteria are in the blood, they can go almost anywhere,” Han says. “The placenta is an immuno-suppressed organ, compared to other organs like the liver and the spleen. And that makes it easy for the bacteria to colonize the placenta.”
The California woman told researchers that she had experienced heavy bleeding from her gums — a sign of gum disease — during her pregnancy. Bleeding gums aren’t unusual in pregnant women, with about 75 percent developing the condition due to normal hormonal changes. Mild gum disease can be treated simply by brushing and flossing more often. Pregnant women with more serious cases may need dental surgery.
Usually women’s uterine infections, which can harm a fetus, are caused by bacteria that work their way up from the vaginal canal, says Han. But the researchers detected a bacteria in the baby not typically found in the vaginal region. Plaque samples from the woman’s teeth were found to be positive for the exact same strain of the oral bacteria found in the dead baby’s stomach and lungs.
Women shouldn’t be overly alarmed by the new study, says Dr. Richard H. Beigi, an obstetric infectious disease specialist and an assistant professor of reproductive science at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“This is just one case,” he explained. “Most pregnant women have bleeding gums and most don’t have dead babies. This can happen, but it’s rare. And this finding doesn’t mean that it’s increasing.”
Still, Beigi says, it should serve as a reminder that pregnant women with bleeding gums should see a dentist to treat their gingivitis. Gingivitis can increase the risk of preterm birth anywhere from twice to seven times, studies indicate.
The new study underscores the importance of oral hygiene not only for pregnant women, but also for those contemplating pregnancy, says Dr. Michael Lu, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and public health at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.
“We know that gingivitis doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s important for women to enter pregnancy in good health,” Lu says. “I would love to see every woman who is contemplating pregnancy get pre-conception care that includes an oral-health check-up.”
Linda Carroll is a health and science writer living in New Jersey. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, Health magazine and SmartMoney.
© 2010 msnbc.com. Reprints
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34979552/ns/health-pregnancy/?gt1=43001
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
16 healthy tips for feeling better in 2010
In today's issue of USA Weekend, Dr. Oz give us "16 healthy tips for feeling better in 2010". One of his tips is:Brush and floss daily.See the other 15 here: http://www.usaweekend.com/10_issues/100103/100103dr-oz.html
Inflammation causes more health problems than you'd imagine. In fact, your body becomes dangerous when it's inflamed. Inflammation causes rusting of the body -- it's like an apple turning brown 20 minutes after being cut. Gingivitis is a leading cause of an immune civil war that stimulates inflammation, a major cause of heart attacks. Brush for two full minutes (that's right -- two minutes) every morning and night to reduce your risk of heart disease. And floss to clean the 40% of tooth surfaces that you otherwise would miss if you only brush.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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