Abstract
Sleep bruxism (SB), snoring, and excessive daytime sleepiness are often associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA, which is characterized by a repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep, can cause oxygen desaturation and lead to adverse medical conditions, such as cardiovascular events, hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. In the present study, 112 Arab women aged 20–40 years (Early Adulthood/Adulthood–EarlyA) and 116 Arab women aged 50 and above (Middle Age–MiddleA), were requested to complete questionnaires regarding demographic variables, symptoms of nocturnal masticatory muscle activity (possible SB, headache, and stiffness of the oral and/or neck musculature upon awakening), risk of OSA (STOP-BANG questionnaire), and daytime sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale—ESS). Women, who reported snoring, experienced more SB (35.8% vs. 20.6%, chi-square, p < 0.05), more headaches (33.3% vs. 19.3%, p < 0.05), and more muscle stiffness upon awakening (34.3% vs. 16.3%, p < 0.005), than their non-snoring counterparts. Out of the women who snore, 11% showed high risk for OSA, as compared to only 1% among the non-snoring participants (p < 0.000). Symptoms of nocturnal masticatory muscle activity and/or snoring can serve as initial indicators of OSA. Higher awareness of dentists to such symptoms, particularly among their middle-aged female patients, can prevent a development of harmful conditions associated with OSA.
Highlights
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a vast term which includes conditions ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
The other side of the SDB spectrum belongs to OSA, which is characterized by a repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep, often associated with oxygen desaturation and/or arousal from sleep [4]
The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of OSA among women belonging to different age groups and its relationship with signs of nocturnal masticatory muscle activity, snoring, and daytime sleepiness
Summary
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a vast term which includes conditions ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). On one side of the SDB spectrum, with high prevalence, lies the familiar symptom of snoring [1]. It increases with age [2] and it is known to be under-reported by women [3]. The other side of the SDB spectrum belongs to OSA, which is characterized by a repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep, often associated with oxygen desaturation and/or arousal from sleep [4]. OSA is more prevalent among men compared to women, even after correcting for age and body mass index [5]. For a state-of-the-art summary, regarding the epidemiology of OSA, refer to
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