Dizziness in A Patient with Airway Compromise and TMD: A Case Report

Evidence is emerging to support the theory that airway oxygenation, which is often associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is an important condition to include in a differential diagnosis. OSA is a condition that sometimes presents as a symptom of a more complex condition (e.g., cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory diseases, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, etc.) [1-10] without an apparent direct relationship to any airway compromise. One feature of OSA is the jaw-head position-hypoxia relationship that is associated with a persistent forward head posture [11-14] causing chronic skeletal pains that do not resolve with conventional therapies. As a means to sustain optimal airway space with OSA the head tends to move forward and while this improves oxygenation it adversely affects the cervical spine and body posture. Literature suggests there is a relationship between head posture and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) issues [15-20].