Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, is a sleep related breathing disorder that causes your body to stop breathing during sleep. OSA occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. This keeps air from getting in to the lungs. This is a very common sleep disorder.
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There are some easy to identify signs and symptoms of OSA:
• Do you snore?
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Do you choke or gasp for breath while you sleep?
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Has anyone told you that you stop breathing during sleep?
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Do you still feel tired or fatigued after you sleep?
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Have you ever nodded off or fallen asleep while driving?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you may need to have a sleep study to determine if you suffer from OSA.
Sleep Apnea Statistics
• Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea
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An estimated 10 million Americans remain undiagnosed
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Over 50% of all apnea cases are diagnosed in people aged 40 and over
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More prevalent in men than women
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4 to 9% of middle-aged men suffer from apnea
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2 to 4% of middle-aged women suffer from apnea (www.sleepmed.md)
How is OSA diagnosed?
Sleep Study
As you evaluate your sleep, you may suspect that you have a sleep disorder. A sleep specialist can confirm if you have made the right conclusion. He or she can make a careful and detailed medical evaluation to find the source of your sleep problem. One of the best tools for detecting a sleep disorder is the sleep study. Sensors are used to monitor how your body acts while you sleep. Charts are made of many physical measurements, including your brain waves, heartbeats and breathing. Your sleep study provides doctors with the data that will help them find the cause of your sleep problem. Overnight Sleep Study - Doctors call this study a polysomnogram. It is used to help detect a variety of sleep disorders. It is most often used to find out if someone has a sleep related breathing disorder. This group of disorders includes sleep apnea.
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To take a Video Tour of a Sleep Study Click Here
What treatments are available?
Nasal CPAP delivers air into your airway through a specially designed nasal mask or pillows. The mask does not breathe for you; the flow of air creates enough pressure when you inhale to keep your airway open. CPAP is considered the most effective nonsurgical treatment for the alleviation of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
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Pillar Procedure is a minimally invasive option for treating mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and disruptive snoring. This simple procedure requires only a single, short office visit.
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GAHM Genioglossus Advancement and Stabilization, Hyoid Myotomy and Suspension Procedure More.
Somnoplasty is a unique surgical device for shrinking redundant tissue. It is currently cleared for reducing the volume of an enlarged soft palate and uvula as a treatment for habitual snoring. Unlike UPPP and other traditional approaches, Somnoplasty uses very low levels of radiofrequency energy to create finely controlled coagulative zones underneath the mucosal layer. These zones are naturally resorbed by the body, altering the tissue structure by reducing excess tissue. Somnoplasty is designed to minimize the bleeding and pain associated with other techniques. It is performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient surgical suite, typically in less than 10 minutes.
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Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is considered as an alternative for the treatment of Sleep Apnea only after the failure of CPAP devices (continuous positive airway pressure) to cure the condition. In UPPP, soft tissue on the back of the throat and soft palate (the uvula) is removed. The tonsils and possibly other excess tissue may also be removed, if present. The process increases the width of the airway at the throat opening, improves the opening ability by interrupting muscular action, and “squares off” the palate to enhance its movement and closure. UPPP does not address apnea or snoring caused by obstructions at the base of tongue.
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