Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where a person’s breathing stops and restarts repeatedly while they sleep. This problematic cycle comes in a few different forms that include: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), and a combination of both. The most common type of sleep apnea, that’s estimated to affect around 1 billion people, is OSA. With OSA, the muscles in your throat relax while you sleep, which then causes surrounding tissues to collapse around the windpipe and restrict the passage of air. The other, less common form, CSA, occurs when the brain isn’t sending proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.

You Might Not Even Know It's Happening

During these pauses in breathing, your body isn’t receiving the oxygen that it needs. So, after a certain amount of time, your body’s nervous system kicks in, waking you up just enough to take a breath. While you might not even register this happening, it’s interrupting your sleep cycle and preventing you from getting the restorative sleep your body needs.

In the short term, this restless sleep and reduced oxygen can leave you with symptoms like headaches, daytime fatigue, and trouble concentrating. In the long term, it can put stress on your heart and be life threatening if left untreated. This is why it’s important to get evaluated and seek proper treatment if you think you might be experiencing sleep apnea.

Treatment for sleep apnea exists on a spectrum, with more conservative options like CPAP machines, oral appliances and lifestyle changes usually being the first step to treating the condition. However, when these methods aren’t effective or aren’t tolerated, and it’s clear that your anatomy is playing a meaningful role, surgical intervention may be necessary. With this method, we can address the issue at the source.

At a Glance

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What Sleep Apnea Treatment Can Do For You

Sleep apnea treatment improves airflow during sleep, getting you needed oxygen and making sure your sleep is uninterrupted and restorative. Effective treatment can help reduce common symptoms like headaches, mood changes, daytime fatigue, and brain fog.

Recovery Snapshot

Recovery is dependent on the type of treatment required. Conservative treatment will likely have no recovery period. If treatment is surgical, minimally invasive procedures will have relatively short recovery times, while jaw-based airway surgery will have a more structured recovery protocol.

Who’s it For?

A sleep apnea evaluation can be beneficial for anyone diagnosed with sleep apnea or experiencing symptoms like loud snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, morning headaches, or daytime fatigue. A surgical-focused evaluation may be important if symptoms persist despite conservative treatment.

Next Step

Schedule a consultation where we discuss your symptoms, review your medical records, and go over any sleep study results you may have. If needed, we'll help coordinate a sleep study and any airway related imaging needed to get an accurate diagnosis.

Comfort Options

Conservative sleep apnea treatments are non-surgical. If a surgical approach is needed, comfort options will depend on the procedure type and may include local anesthesia, IV sedation, or general anesthesia.

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The Importance of Treating Sleep Apnea

One restless night's sleep can leave you feeling tired and slow. But typically, if you sleep well the following night, then you bounce back and the effects of the previous night don’t linger.

With sleep apnea, every night is a restless night. Your body’s sleep cycle is repeatedly interrupted by pauses in breathing, followed by your body being forced awake to restore airflow. As a result, your body isn't able to reach the restorative stages of deep sleep and these effects start to compound with each restless night.

Many patients experience persistent fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and headaches, along with other symptoms that can slowly start affecting things like work performance, relationships, and overall quality of life.

In the long term, untreated sleep apnea can place strain on your cardiovascular system leading to potentially life threatening complications. This is why identifying sleep apnea early, and finding a solution that works for you is so important.

Treatment, whether it’s conservative or surgical, can help restore consistent breathing during sleep, so your body can recover how it’s supposed to and give you back the energy you need to live your life.

When a Sleep Apnea Evaluation is Recommended

You may benefit from a sleep apnea evaluation if:

You’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
You snore loudly.
Someone has witnessed pauses in your breathing while you sleep.
You are experiencing persistent daytime fatigue despite getting a full night’s rest.
You have headaches when you wake up.
You are using CPAP, but it’s difficult to tolerate.
Your orthodontist, dentist, or physician has mentioned they believe you’re experiencing airway obstruction when you sleep.

If you’re unsure whether sleep apnea is affecting you, or you know it is, but are unsure what the best treatment option is, schedule a consultation and we’ll help you get the clarity you’re looking for.