This syndrome is defined as cessation of breathing for greater than ten seconds causing a decrease in blood oxygen saturation while the patient sleeps. The cessation of breathing is caused by loss of muscle tone, which causes collapse of the airway while the patient is asleep. These periods of apnea are broken when the patient momentarily awakens, usually fitfully, and starts breathing again. This process obviously disrupts a good nights sleep and causes daytime sleepiness, lack of concentration, and irritability. More importantly, however, blood pressure and heart rate changes that occur simultaneously with apneic periods cause systemic problems such as heart and lung disease, which can significantly shorten a patients lifespan. Furthermore, this syndrome is usually accompanied by annoying snoring which is a great concern of others in the home.
Our practice has been treating patients with sleep apnea since 1995.
Dr. Hardy is able to identify patients who may be suffering from OSA based on patient history. They will then order a sleep study, which will determine the severity of the disease in the individual patient.This may include especial pressurized breathing machines to be used at night or fabrication of a splint to be worn between the upper and lower teeth while you sleep. More severe cases, or cases that do not respond to medical management, will require surgical treatment to open the airway. This may be done at one or more levels depending on the area of obstruction that is causing the sleep apnea.
Septal surgery can be done for nasal obstruction. Laser assisted reduction of the uvula and soft palate can be performed for obstruction at that level (where most snoring occurs), and muscular suspension techniques or orthognathic surgery can be performed to open the airway at the level of the throat. It is important to seek a consultation if you have the symptoms of OSA because, like hypertension and diabetes, this disease can have fatal consequences if left untreated.