Sleep Apnea Q&A

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The most common type of sleep apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which occurs when the muscles around the throat excessively relax during sleep causing the airway to collapse or become blocked. This leads to pauses in breathing and sudden quick responses that result in frequent waking in the night.

Symptoms of OSA commonly include:

• Snoring
• Episodes of interrupted breathing while sleeping
• Abrupt and/or frequent awakening coupled by gasping or choking
• Morning headaches
• Difficulty concentrating during the day
• Mood changes
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Excessive daytime drowsiness
   

How is sleep apnea diagnosed?

Diagnosis of sleep apnea involves a sleep study that records breathing and other bodily functions during sleep. These measurements help determine the severity of sleep apnea: mild, moderate, or severe.

Mild sleep apnea can often be treated by simple lifestyle changes, but as the degree of severity increases- the more likely there is a need for intervention or treatment.

What types of interventions or treatments are typical for sleep apnea?

Treatments vary based on severity. As previously mentioned, simple lifestyle changes can drastically improve sleep. The use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device, oral appliance, and sometimes surgery are other options.

Are there downsides to treatments for sleep apnea?

Most of the complaints we hear from patients regarding treatments for sleep apnea come from the use of CPAP. They can often complain of dry mouth, morning bloating, difficulty moving at night, noise of the machine, along with a host of many other reasons. These types of issues typically lead to non-compliance and the persistence of disordered sleep. Patients often ask if there are any alternatives to a CPAP device or anything to help their snoring. Typically, mild and moderate sleep apnea treatment can be managed by lifestyle changes and/or the use of an oral sleep appliance. However, the recommendation for treatment of severe sleep apnea has been the use of a CPAP...until now.

At the office of Scott Young, DDS in The Woodlands, TX, Dr. Young and his team have been offering OSA appliances for years for the treatment of mild and moderate sleep apnea and/or snoring. However, we are excited to provide a new treatment for patients who have severe sleep apnea and cannot tolerate their CPAP.  

Introducing Vivos, the first FDA-approved oral device treatment for severe obstructive sleep apnea.