Warning signs for sleep apnea:

Do you snore heavily?

Does your snoring disturb your partner?

Has your partner observed you gasping or not breathing while you sleep?

Do you have high blood pressure?

Do you fall asleep at inappropriate times?

Are you irritable?

Do you wake up with a headache or sore throat?

Do you have acid reflux?

If I snore, does that mean I have sleep apnea?

Snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious disease that can increase the risk for significant health problems. Untreated sleep apnea can raise your risk for congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression and impotence. Call our office to schedule a sleep screening and we can help coordinate a sleep test with your physician.

I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Do I have to wear a CPAP?

OSA treatments include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliance therapy (OAT), or surgery. CPAP therapy is a very common treatment for OSA, but OAT is also an effective treatment option. If you and your doctor decide that OAT is the best treatment option for you, your doctor will write you a prescription for a custom-made oral appliance and you can be treated at our office.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea  

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when your muscles relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to collapse and block your airway. This can cause you to stop breathing for anywhere from a few seconds to almost a minute at a time. These breathing pauses are followed by brief awakenings that disturb your sleep – even if you don’t realize it!

Symptoms of OSA

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include loud or frequent snoring or silent pauses in breathing and choking or gasping sounds. Other common symptoms include:  

• Waking in the morning feeling unrefreshed

• Being tired during the day

• Morning headaches

• Waking up frequently at night to go to the bathroom

• Difficulty concentrating or remembering things 

How is OSA Diagnosed?

Obstructive sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a doctor, so you should ask your primary care doctor for a sleep evaluation. Your primary care doctor may provide a diagnosis or may refer you to a doctor who specializes in treating sleep problems. To find out if you have OSA, your doctor or the sleep specialist will complete a sleep evaluation. This may involve either an overnight sleep test at a sleep center or a home sleep apnea test (HSAT). A sleep specialist will interpret the data from your sleep test. The information from the evaluation and the sleep test results will be used to determine if you have OSA.

Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT)

OAT is an effective, non-invasive treatment option for snoring and OSA that fits easily into your lifestyle. An oral appliance looks like an orthodontic retainer and is worn only during sleep. It supports the jaw in a forward position to help keep your upper airway open, which prevents sleep apnea and snoring.