Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a condition in which the soft tissues at the back of the throat close off the airway leading to cessation of breathing. This can occur dozens and sometimes even hundreds of times an hour.Typically, someone with Obstructive Sleep Apnea will snore heavily, then stop breathing. When that happens, the brain alerts the muscles in the airway to tighten and unblock the air passage. This often occurs with a loud gasp or snort, and then breathing (and many times snoring) begins again. This blocking and unblocking of the airway causes significant disruption of sleep. A good night of sleep is critical to our overall health and ability to function effectively throughout the day.
Symptoms include
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Drowsy driving
- Not feeling rested upon awakening
- Morning headaches
- Weight gain
- Limited attention
- Memory loss
- Poor judgment
- Personality changes
Medical Consequences of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
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CPAP - continuous air pressure supplied by a mask over the nose
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Surgery - surgical appraoches to the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea include moving the upper and lower jaw forward, removing all or a portion of the soft palate and loose tissues in the throat, implantation of stiffeners in the soft palate, suspension of the tongue muscle, movement of the tongue to a more forward position and surgical suspension of a small bone in the throat called the hyoid bone.
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Oral Appliance Therapy - Oral appliances are comfortable and easy to wear. Most people find that it only takes a coupld of weeks to become acclimated to wearing the appliance. They are small and convenient making them easy to carry when travelling. Treatment with oral appliances is reversible and non-invasive. More can be learned about oral appliances on our page devoted specifically to Oral Appliance Therapy.
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