Research-based Treatments for Sleep Apnea

If you experience unexplained fatigue and depletion for several consecutive days, you may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can also cause headaches and reduce your concentration span, preventing you from carrying out your tasks effectively. If you’re struggling with sleep apnea in Surprise, visit Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat for treatment.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a critical sleep disorder, in which your breathing gets interrupted and repeatedly stops and starts while sleeping. If left untreated, it can significantly impede normal body functioning, considering that your brain may not get adequate oxygen during sleep. This disorder may also interfere with your sleep, causing daytime exhaustion, even after sleeping the whole night. The professional team at Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat specializes in two types of sleep apnea, including:

• Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. This disorder occurs when the muscles in your upper airway spasmodically relax and interfere with your breathing while you sleep.

• Central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea causes breathing difficulties like obstructive sleep apnea, but it is not a result of obstruction of your airway. This disorder occurs when your brain does not transmit signals to the muscles responsible for controlling your breathing, causing nocturnal breathing cessation. If left untreated, central sleep apnea can affect your concentration span and cause mood and memory problems. Another type of sleep apnea is complex sleep apnea and is a blend of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

How Can You Know If You Have Sleep Apnea?

Both types of sleep apnea cause similar symptoms. You may not know that you have sleep apnea without monitoring your breathing using a recorder as you sleep. Sleep apnea is caused by labored breathing, irregular breathing, and paused breathing. Other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Morning headaches.
• Irritability.
• Memory problems and short concentration span.
• Morning dry mouth.
• Loud snoring.
• Daytime exhaustion.

If you experience any of these symptoms, visit Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat for a thorough physical exam to determine the cause of your restlessness and discomfort. If the team detects any form of sleep apnea, they may create a treatment plan to help restore your peaceful night rest and your ability to handle tasks such as driving and operating heavy machinery with ease.

What Are the Available Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea?

The professional team at Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat offers holistic, research-based treatments for sleep apnea. Some of the available treatments for sleep apnea include:

• Oral appliances

Oral appliances are an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Your doctor can place a custom oral device to hold your jaw and maintain your airway open.

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

This treatment involves wearing a device over your mouth and nose before you sleep, which emits a steady airflow into your airway to keep it open.

• Surgery

If the other techniques fail to improve your condition, the team may recommend jaw repositioning, tissue removal, or other types of surgeries to treat your sleep apnea.

If sleep apnea is causing you sleepless nights, call Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat or schedule an online appointment for effective treatments.