HENDERSON (KTNV) — In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're highlighting AAPI leaders, entrepreneurs and organizations making a difference in the Las Vegas valley.
A local dentist specializes in helping patients get a good night's sleep.
POOR SLEEP
"Fatigue. Tired. You know, just my energy level wasn't where it needed to be," said Sam Remine.
Remine sais getting a good night's sleep used to be nearly impossible. His snoring was so bad it was affecting his marriage.
"My wife will say, 'Oh my gosh. You know, doing the pushing, You're waking me up. You're keeping me up'," he said.
He says he saw a doctor and was diagnosed with sleep apnea and given a CPAP machine, a ventilation device designed for upper respiratory systems.
"That just was very difficult to use. I tried different masks. I couldn't tolerate the pressure. So you know, what are my options now?" asks Remine.
"A lot of the primary care physicians in the medical world aren't aware of this option," says Dr. Jerry Hu of Nevada Dental Sleep in Henderson.
He's providing a new solution. He says a simple looking device helps patients like Sam get a healthy night's sleep.
"What that oral appliance will do is if it can mimic and hold that position through the night," says Dr. Hu.
SLEEP APNEA
He goes on to say, "So whether you're sleeping on your back or on your side, that airway will remain open through the night."
About 30 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea according to the American Medical Association. So Dr. Hu says this therapy has the potential to help a lot of people, especially minorities.
"So Asians, they have a prevalence of having a bad faced efficiency. They have what we call in dentistry a class three profile," says Dr. Hu.
He goes on to say, "So their sleep apnea issues can be very, very extreme. So there is that. But even if you look across other minority groups too."
Dr. Hu says the other problem is many minorities will never bother to seek help.
"Oftentimes, you know, you're kind of an environment where you just tough it out. You don't talk about snoring, you don't talk about that," says Dr. Hu.
Hu says there is a lot of different traditional barriers.
Language barriers also tend to keep some people out of their local doctor's office.
LIFE CHANGING
Dr. Hu says the good news is this therapy is covered by health insurance. Patients just need to be willing to take the steps necessary to get help.
Remine did just that, and says it changed his life.
"I'm actually seeing improvement how I feel, you know, waking up my energy level has changed. So overall, it's been a great experience," says Remine.
