Are You Tired?

Nearly everyone has had their sleep interrupted by snoring or sleep apnea.  Whether it affects you or a loved one, the problems have only worsened with our increasing size, use of shift work, and lack of daily exercise.
Snoring is the noise created when tissues in our nose, mouth, tongue, and voice box vibrate.  It is what disturbs our friends and family. Sometimes, the noise of snoring disrupts our own sleep.  We treat snoring with a combination of over the counter remedies, dental appliances, implants, and minor surgical procedures.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a more serious problem that results from those same tissues actually collapsing when we sleep.  When the tissues collapse, our breathing is restricted or ceases.  Snoring may actually stop!  Although the decrease in snoring seems nice, the lack of breathing causes our oxygen to decrease, stressing our body (mostly the brain and heart).
Sleep apnea is a serious medical problem.  Luckily, the methods to identify and treat sleep apnea have improved greatly over the years.  The standard test is a sleep study.  While this test has generally been performed in a sleep lab, new technology allows accurate testing for some people in the home.  Treatment options have also improved greatly.  CPAP machines, the standard of treatment, have gotten smaller, quieter, and less intrusive over the years.  Even dental appliances are better fabricated to lessen pain in the jaw joint.
There have been several major advances in surgical therapy.  The most difficult problem in treating sleep apnea is identifying the exact area of the obstruction.  The newest diagnostic test is sleep endoscopy, which allows us to see exactly where obstruction and snoring is occurring by looking at the airway while the patient is asleep.  With the use of the da Vinci robot, we can now look through the mouth and treat areas deep in the throat. These new techniques allow for curative surgery.  Contact us today if you would like to get the sleep you deserve for a better tomorrow.
At SCENT we treat the ear, nose, throat, speech, audiology, aesthetic and facial plastic surgery needs for adults and children.  Please contact us at 661-259-2500 and visit online at www.ScentMed.com or www.ABeautifulLook.com.