Stop Snoring Riverside! Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea affects more than 18 million Americans and can lead to serious health issues including:
- heart attack
- stroke
- high blood pressure
- depression
What is Sleep Apnea? Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes sleep to be interrupted repeatedly throughout the night due to an obstructed airway. This is often seen through snoring, fatigue, insomnia, or waking up with a sore dry throat. Most people with mild obstructive sleep apnea are aware that they snore and feel overtired or fatigued but are generally unaware of potentially serious medical problems, which may also exist. “Apnea” is derived from a Greek word meaning “want of breath.” Sleep apnea, then, would be the cessation of breathing during sleep for ten seconds or more at least five times an hour, causing the affected to “want of breath” while he or she is sleeping.
Dr. Middleton offers personalized solutions to treat patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep related disorders in order to find the best option for better sleep and better general health. Come in for a consultation to identify symptoms and explore treatment options that are right for you.
You deserve a Great Night’s Sleep!
FAQ
Take our at home self assessment questionnaire and call Dr. Middleton to schedule a consultation appointment. In order to know for sure if sleep apnea is present, a consultation with Dr. Middleton is necessary.
After coming in for a consultation, Doctor Middleton may send you home to take an at home sleep apnea test. This test is similar to wearing a headband during the night. This headband monitors your sleep throughout the night. Dr. will then send the results of this test to a sleep specialist who will analyze the results of the sleep study along with the at home sleep assessment, discovering if you suffer from sleep apnea. If so you are revealed to have sleep apnea, Dr. Middleton will work with you in order to find the best option for you.
Unlike snoring, when the soft tissues in your throat vibrate, obstructive sleep apnea occurs when those same tissues close or obstruct your airway. Common symptoms for sleep apnea include: loud snoring, waking up with a sore/dry throat, lack of energy or general sleepiness during the day, waking up with a gasping or choking sensation, and forgetfulness or mood changing, but to be properly diagnosed, please contact Dr. Middleton for a consultation.
Male
Overweight
40+
Large neck size (greater than 17inches)
Nasal obstruction from
Allergies
Deviated septum
Sinus problems
– If you have any concerns, please contact Dr. Middleton’s office for a consultation.
Options depend on the severity of the sleep apnea, individual differences between patients, and what, specifically, is causing the blocked pathway. The solution may include sleeping with a CPAP, surgery, or losing weight, but often moving the jaw into the correct place with an oral application is sufficient. The correct option for you, however, wont be known until properly analyzed.
Most often patients with obstructive sleep apnea receive a 70-80% reimbursement (as a diagnosed medical condition) but it varies. The best way to determine whether your insurance will cover your treatment, is to contact our office.
An oral application is a mouthpiece worn at night in order to move the jaw in order to unblock the air pathway. While not everyone with sleep apnea needs an oral application, it often is the solution.
Sensations vary between patients, but it should never hurt. The applications are very similar in appearance to a mouth guard of a retainer, and likewise create a similar sensation. Because appliances are lightweight and custom fit, most patients only notice it’s in their mouth before falling asleep.
Nasal strips only improve flow of air through the nose, rather than for the entire air passage to the lungs. The only effective way to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea is to increase the size of the entire air passage. Oral appliance therapy, therefore, is a more effective method.
