Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a patient experiences one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. The sleep disruption caused by sleep apnea can negatively impact your quality of sleep, leaving you tired and irritable.

Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices, and/or surgery. If left untreated, sleep apnea can affect your health and quality of life- possibility causing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and other ailments.

For mild sleep apnea, lifestyle changes (weight loss, smoking cessation, clearing nasal passages) may be helpful in relieving the symptoms.

For moderate to severe sleep apnea, a breathing device called a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) may be helpful. A CPAP machine uses a mask that fits over your mouth and/or nose and gently blows air into your throat. This air pressure helps keep your airway open while you sleep.

Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) can also help alleviate the symptoms of patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. With this approach, our office creates a custom-fitted oral appliance for patients to wear when they are sleeping. The appliance aids patients during sleep by positioning the lower jaw and tongue in a way that minimizes airway obstruction. OAT is often an effective alternative to CPAP for patients who may be uncomfortable wearing the mask at night.

If you are unsure if you have sleep apnea, our office can send you home with a medical recording device (MediByte) that records your involuntary body functions that occur during sleep. This type of study is similar to a typical laboratory study except it is performed in the comfort of your own home.

Contact our office today for more information!