Help For Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) is a frequent disorder in children. A few of those factors include: central apnea, low muscle tone from the mouth and upper airway, bad coordination of airway motions, narrowed air passages in the midface and throat, a comparatively big tongue, and hypertrophy (enlargement) of adenoid and tonsillar cells. Improved upper airway infections and nasal secretions and also a greater prevalence of obesity further contribute to collapse and obstruction of both the oropharynx and the hypopharynx when the individual is sleeping. Through sleep, OSA blocks atmosphere (obstruction) from flowing normally into the lungs and causes people to stop breathing for short amounts of time when asleep.

Some devices keep your airway open by attracting your jaw forward, which could sometimes relieve snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Although CPAP is the most frequently successful and many commonly used way of treating obstructive sleep apnea, many people find the mask cumbersome, uncomfortable or loud. The most common type is known as continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP (SEE-pap).

Sleep disordered breathing has been shown to affect cognitive skills, behaviour, growth rate and more the serious consequences of pulmonary hypertension (abnormally large blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs) and cor pulmonale (failure of the ideal side of the heart). Anatomy accounts for many of the reasons why there's a greater incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in individuals with Down syndrome. To learn more about sleep apnea surgery, visit our Surgical Alternatives to CPAP page. The dwelling sleep apnea test concentrates mainly on breathing patterns and oxygen levels and may suffice for many patients.

Some sleep laboratories utilize an RDI of 20 episodes per hour because the cutoff point to contemplate constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, even though the amount of symptoms is an essential consideration regardless of the RDI. There is clear evidence that a positive family history of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an important risk factor for an elevated apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and associated symptoms such as snoring, daytime sleepiness, and apneas. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment is the very first line of therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Specific remedies for obstructive sleep apnea include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral devices, and airway operation.

• ENT experts treat sleep-disordered breathing, nasal and airway obstruction, snoring and sleep apnea, and much more.
• During sleep, the upper airway may be blocked by excessive tissue, large tonsils and/or a massive tongue.
• The repetitive cycle that occurs with obstructive sleep apnea (respiratory event, decline in oxygenation, arousal from sleep) can leave a person feeling fatigued even following a full night's sleep.
• Of those, systems that deliver positive pressure to the upper airway are highly effective in treating sleep apnea, and improvements in design and cognitive therapy have rendered these treatments more tolerable.

Our physicians may recommend eliminating soft tissue from the upper airway to reduce the signs of sleep apnea. In individuals with OSA, repeated episodes of decreasing oxygen levels lead to a variety of physiological changes which affect the heart and blood vessels. When we sleep, there's a heightened risk for the airway behind the tongue to collapse with each breath (particularly when sleeping on our backs).

Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Check out Dr. Avi Weisfogel, a dental sleep medicine expert for more information.