The Steps To Take For Dental Emergencies The Steps To Take For Dental Emergencies

If you have been diagnosed with Chiari malformation, there's no doubt that you've been delving into a lot of research about the condition. You may be beginning to understand that, when you have Chiari malformation, you have to be extremely careful in all aspects of your life, including when you seek treatments and care from all kinds of professionals. Here are 4 examples.

Anesthesiologist

Researchers have found that 12.7% of people who have Chiari malformation also have a hereditary connective tissue disorder, like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Due to this statistic, it's important that you inform anesthesiologists about your risk of having EDS, especially while you wait to get an appointment with a geneticist for a diagnosis. The reason for this is because people with connective tissue disorders, like EDS, can have severe complications with anesthesia, particularly the types that are injected. Therefore, until you see a geneticist for a diagnosis, it's safer to assume that you have a connective tissue disorder so the anesthesiologist can be aware that he or she needs to take extra precautionary measures.

Beautician

With the Chiari malformation being located in the back of your head immediately above your neck, getting your hair washed in a beauty salon may be problematic.  Even if you do not have a connective tissue disorder, the positioning of your neck while getting a professional hair wash can put too much strain and pressure in the area of the malformation. The herniation of the cerebral tonsils into the spinal cord opening could change position when your neck and head change position. To save yourself the risk of triggering Chiari symptoms, it's a good idea to wash your hair yourself at home before you go to a hair appointment.

Chiropractor

In addition to an association between Chiari and connective tissue disorders, there is also a risk of having cervical cranial instability (CC). This is when the bottom of the skull and the top of the spine don't work together as they should, which could result in serious neck and spine injuries, as well as symptoms from sudden changes in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. You will likely find differing opinions in the medical community about many things pertaining to Chiari, including chiropractic care. The one thing that nearly everyone can agree on, however, is to inform your chiropractor about your Chiari diagnosis before starting any treatment if you do choose to get chiropractic care.

Dentist

Your dentist will also need to know of your diagnosis of Chiari. Of course, he or she will need to take great care when manipulating your head and neck while you are in the dental chair, especially if you go under sedation and are, therefore, unable to communicate. Also, you'll learn that sleep apnea is one of the many things that people with Chiari deal with. Your dentist can fit you with an oral appliance that is designed to keep your jaw in a forward position so you, hopefully, maintain an open airway and get some sleep.

But there's another crucial reason for your dentist to be aware of your condition. As you know, the pressure headaches and visual symptoms of Chiari can be caused by Valsalva maneuvers, such as coughing, sneezing, and other things that suddenly increase the intrathoracic pressure. Another Valsalva maneuver occurs when you close your mouth, pinch your nose, and attempt to exhale. Dentists ask their patients to do this after some dental treatments, such as after extracting a maxillary molar. Because of this, you'll want to tell your dentist that you have Chiari so he or she won't ask you to perform this test.  Click here for more info about undergoing dental work with this condition.