Patient Education:
Sleep Apnea/Snoring
Sleep Apnea
Apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by the reduction of airflow to the lungs while sleeping. This usually occurs because our body becomes more relaxed while sleeping and the soft tissues in the throat lose muscle tone and therefore, collapse and reduce the size of the airway. Every time the tissues collapse and airflow is restricted, the body is deprived of the oxygen it needs. These episodes can continue throughout the night and disrupt a person’s ability to have a quality well rested sleep. Patients with apnea often suffer from morning headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, daytime sleepiness and depression. Research has shown that untreated apnea will increase your risk of heart attack and strokes and take an average of eight years off your life. It is estimated that 15% of men and 10% of females suffer from Apnea. This is why we are dedicated to bringing awareness to this disorder and have made it our goal to simplify the screening and diagnosis of Sleep apnea.
Dr. Munoz has recently opened No Snore Center, dedicated to the treatment of sleep disorder breathing, within In Smyle Dental. Please visit the website and learn more about snoring and sleep apnea. There is an excellent video that explains sleep disorder breathing and questionnaires to help you screen yourself for sleep apnea. If you or a loved one are at risk for this disorder please call and set up an appointment. We offer a simple take home test to screen patients for sleep apnea. The apparatus is worn on the finger while sleeping and returned to our office for interpretation. The charge for this test is $50 and it will allow us to measure your pulse and oxygen throughout the night. Physicians we have partnered will then read the results of your test and provide us with a written report of their findings
Once we have the results of your oximetry test, we will set up an appointment to explain the results and inform you if a sleep study is recommended. This is a more comprehensive study, which will measure the frequency, duration and loss of oxygen for each apneic event. This information is crucial to evaluating the severity of your disorder and determining the proper treatment.
At the No Snore Center our desire is to educate you and to use a team approach in the treatment of your breathing disorder. Depending on the severity of the apnea we will recommend a treatment plan. Our goal is to correct your breathing disorder and an oral appliance alone may not sufficiently treat your problem. We may also recommend positional pillows, surgical correction of some nasal or oral tissues, continuous positive air pressure (CPAP), or a combination of oral appliance and CPAP. With children we may recommend orthopedic appliances to develop arches and improve their airway as they are growing.
Below are listed aliments that can be caused or affected by sleep apnea
- Daytime sleepiness
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Acid reflux disease
- Loss of sex drive
- Erectile deficiency
- Increased urination
- Restless sleep
- Morning headaches
- Change in personality, increased irritability
- Memory loss
- Loss of concentration