Sleep Apnea Doctors Near Me

For people with mild or moderate OSA who don’t benefit from CPAP therapy, an oral appliance is a reasonable alternative to positive airway pressure. “Sleep apnea happens when upper airway muscles relax during sleep and pinch off the airway, which prevents you from getting enough air. Hormone conditions like hypothyroidism and acromegaly may increase the risk of OSA by causing swelling of tissue near the airway and/or contributing to a person’s risk of obesity. Sleep apnea is a condition marked by abnormal breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea have multiple extended pauses in breath when they sleep. These temporary breathing lapses cause lower-quality sleep and affect the body’s supply of oxygen, leading to potentially serious health consequences.

While there have been some high-profile deaths linked to sleep apnea—such as withJudge Antonin Scalia—Jun says that the true risk is from damage done over time. While premenopausal women tend to put on weight in the hips and in the lower body instead of the belly, this shifts with time. Weight begins to accumulate in traditionally “male” areas like the tummy, and this leads to a greater chance of sleep apnea. That said, snoring itself—though annoying—isn’t the same as sleep apnea. Snoring is just the vibration sound created by airway resistance.

Restlessness during sleep, frequent nighttime awakenings.

It’s natural to miss sleeping the “old way,” but there are things you can to do make the adjustment easier and to ensure you’re getting the most benefit out of treatment. Sex – Men are much more likely to have sleep apnea than women, although after menopause, frequency in women increases. The lack of oxygen during a sleep apnea episode jolts you awake—usually so briefly that you don’t remember it.

In general, a person with sleep apnea is not aware of their breathing problems at night. For that reason, they often only find out about the issue from a bed partner, family member, or roommate. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most likely symptom to be noticed by people with sleep apnea that live alone. However, OSA is underdiagnosed as it is not always accompanied by daytime sleepiness which can leave the sleep-disordered breathing unnoticed.

This disorder, which includes high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood sugar and an increased waist circumference, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease. Obstructive sleep apnea might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke and abnormal heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation. If you have heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxygen can lead to sudden death from an irregular heartbeat. HSAT is an important adjunct to our diagnostic procedures for OSA. Many patients are hesitant, infirmed, or not near a sleep laboratory to obtain a PSG. Additionally, HSATs are not yet accepted for diagnosis of OSA in children.

Hopefully these sleep tips help you breathe easier at night and wake up more refreshed in the morning. However, if your symptoms begin to worsen, talk to your health care provider or sleep specialist immediately. Similar to alcohol, tobacco use can worsen your snoring and sleep apnea. Quitting smoking may be one of the most difficult tasks your health care provider asks of you, but the health benefitsare too many to list. “Your breathing can improve within weeks to months and you’re much less likely to need oxygen if you quit now,” Dr. Knobbe said.

This is a portable device that can diagnose sleep apnea. Your doctor will arrange for you to take it home to wear during sleep and then it returned to the office where results are processed. Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. It happens in all age groups and both genders, but it's more common in men. Anyone who experiences daytime sleepiness should see a doctor, who can help them find out the reason sleep apnea dentist and the steps to take to solve it. When the airway closes, or the signal is held up, the person will stop breathing.

A person with sleep apnea undergoing any medical treatment must make sure their doctor and anesthetist are informed about the sleep apnea. Alternative and emergency procedures may be necessary to maintain the airway of sleep apnea patients. This machine sends air pressure through a mask while you’re asleep.

Several surgical procedures are used to treat sleep apnea, although they are normally a third line of treatment for those who reject or are not helped by CPAP treatment or dental appliances. Surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea needs to be individualized to address all anatomical areas of obstruction. You may need to use extra oxygen when you sleep if you have central sleep apnea. There are many forms of oxygen and different devices that can help deliver it to your lungs. If a CPAP machine doesn’t work for you, you can try another device that will automatically adjust the pressure while you sleep, called auto-CPAP.