Take a look at some of these frequently asked questions to determine whether you should consult one of our physicians because you might have sleep apnea.

Do you snore?
Snoring can be annoying for you and your bed partner, and can cause major friction between people. It can awaken you and those around you and put a strain on your relationships. Snoring can disturbing to your sleep, but it might also be a sign of a more serious medical condition called OSA, or obstructive sleep apnea.

What is OSA/sleep apnea?
Apnea means your breathing may slow down, or even stop for short periods of time during sleep, sometimes as much a 20 or 30 times an hour. To resume breathing, you wake up and may continue the cycle again. This makes for a very restless and poor night of sleep. It means that you may never reach a deep level of sleep needed to refresh the body and mind. More importantly, it can cause severe health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure.

What causes sleep apnea?
Obstruction is a major cause of sleep apnea, and can occur anywhere from your nos too 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:

• Enlarged tonsils

• Enlarged tongue

• Excess soft palate and/or large uvula

• Small, or set back jaw

• Deviated nasal septum

• Enlarged turbinates (soft tissue structures in the nose)

• Enlarged adenoid tissue

• One very common, and major cause of apnea is being overweight, or obese. Also people with shorter necks are often candidates for sleep apnea.

Should I 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:

• If you gasp, or snort in your sleep

• Wake up multiple times during the night

• If you are still tired after a full night’s sleep

• Fall asleep during the day without reason, including at the wheel of a car.

• Wake up in the morning with a headache
  

What are the treatments for sleep apnea?
Depending on the cause, the doctor will determine your options after the sleep study has been completed.

• Weight loss has been shown to be a successful treatment.

• A CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure) which aids in breathing during sleep

• Multiple surgical options to alleviate the different forms of obstruction

What is a “sleep study”, and why do I need one?
In a monitored setting, you will stay overnight so that a specially trained techician can monitor your sleep, while different aspects are measured such as your oxygen saturation, heart rate, the percentage of time you spend in each stage of sleep, your rate of breathing and how often your breathing slows down, or stops. It is a time proven, accurate way to determine whether you have sleep apnea, and how severe it is.

What will the sleep study be like?
You will have a private "bedroom" in a comfortable setting. Different sensors will be attached to your body by a trained sleep technician. Once asleep, your heart rate, breathing, oxygen level and other measurements will be monitored. A microphone and video camera will record your breathing and body movements. Surprisingly enough, most people are able to sleep in spite of these sensors and monitors. You leave the next morning early enough to go to work.

Do I need to prepare for the sleep study?
Just bring what you would normally have to stay over at a friend's house, or hotel. Loose comfortable sleeping clothes are best. No alchohol, or sedatives, or medications, other than prescription drugs (check with the clinic).