|
Do you snore?
Snoring can be annoying for you and your bed partner. It can awaken you and those around you and put a strain on your relationships. While snoring can disturb your sleep, it may also be a sign of a more serious medical condition called sleep apnea.
What is sleep apnea?
Apnea means your breathing slows down or even stops for short periods of time during sleep. To resume breathing, you wake up. This makes for a very restless night of sleep. Also, it can cause more severe health problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure.
What causes sleep apnea?
Obstruction is a major cause of sleep apnea. This can occur anywhere from your nose down to your vocal cords and trachea. The physical exam gives the doctor a good sense of where the obstruction is occurring. Some areas that can cause obstruction in your breathing include:
- deviated nasal septum
- enlarged turbinates (soft tissue structures in the nose)
- enlarged adenoid tissue
- enlarged tonsils
- enlarged tongue
- excess soft palate and/or large uvula
- small or set back jaw
One very common cause of apnea is obesity, or being overweight.
How would I know to be concerned about apnea?
If you snore, it’s a good idea to discuss this with your doctor. Even if you don’t have apnea, snoring can greatly affect your quality of life, and there are many treatment options for it.
If you exhibit any of the following symptoms, you may have apnea :
- Gasp or snort in your sleep
- Wake up multiple times during the night
- Wake up still tired after a full night’s sleep
- Fall asleep during the day without reason
- Wake up in AM with headache
A sleep study is an objective way to test for apnea. In a monitored setting, you stay overnight to sleep while certain parameters are measured: your oxygen saturation, your heart rate, the percentage of time you spend in each stage of sleep, your rate of breathing and how often it slows down or stops. At Lexington Sleep Services, we do our best to make this experience as comfortable and relaxing as possible.
You will have a private bedroom in a comfortable and relaxing setting with a television and a CD player . An experienced technician will attach different sensors to your body and leave the room.As you sleep, your heart rate, breathing, oxygen level and other measurements will be monitored. A microphone and video camera will record your breathing and body movements.
How do I prepare for the sleep study?
Bring your sleepwear and toiletries as if you were spending the night at a friend’s house or hotel. You may bring something to read if you routinely do this before bed. Bathe and wash your hair before the sleep study, and please avoid oils and make-up on the skin.
Do not drink any alcohol on the day of the study, and try to avoid any sedating medications such as sleeping pills, sedatives and antihistamines unless any of these are part of your routine medical regimen.
What are the treatments for sleep apnea?
This depends on the cause, which you will need to discuss with your doctor after the sleep study. Weight loss can be a key factor in treatment. A CPAP machine (an air pressure device) which aids in breathing during sleep is the gold standard of treatment; however, there are also multiple surgical options to correct the particular level of obstruction.
**A sleep study is a medically approved diagnostic procedure. Lexington ENT will make all necessary arrangements to have your study approved by your insurance company.
Remember, there are many possible treatments for your snoring and apnea. Do not give up hope! We are here to help you decide what your treatment options are and what will work best for you.
To a restful night’s sleep,
-The Staff at Lexington ENT Sleep Services
Our Sleep Service Team
Lisa Liberatore, MD – Board Certified Otolaryngologist
Alexa Lessow, MD – Board Certified Otolaryngologist
Sal Alobeidy, MD – Board Certified Sleep Medicine Physician
Tami Oram – Certified Sleep Lab Technician/Polysomnographer
Damaris Lopez – Coordinator
Kimarie Diaz – Insurance Coordinator
|
Good links:
