Snoring & Sleep Apnea

Pillar Implants
Somnoplasty
Tonsillectomy
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

Snoring is annoying. Snoring may harm your sleep and the sleep of your bedmate or people in other rooms. This can put a strain on your relationships. Snoring can also be the first sign of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is serious. If you have sleep apnea, your throat becomes blocked during sleep. You stop breathing for short periods of time. To breathe, you must briefly wake up. The cycle repeats many times throughout the night. Besides snoring you may:

• Gasp or snort in your sleep
• Wake up tired after a full night's sleep
• Feel very sleepy during the day
• Fall asleep without meaning to - even while driving
• Have problems with memory or concentration
• Be cranky or short tempered

Sleep apnea also makes you more likely to develop certain other health problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

In order to properly diagnose the problem, an overnight sleep study will be scheduled. A technician will attach sensors to our body. As you sleep, your heart rate, breathing, oxygen level and other functions will be monitored. A microphone and video camera will record your breathing sounds and body movements. If you need an air pressure device to help you breathe, one will be available.

Changing some habits may help alleviate your snoring and/or sleep apnea.

• Sleep on your side - sewing tennis balls into a sock on the back of your pajamas will help prevent you from rolling onto your back
• Lose weight if you need to
• Avoid alcohol and certain medications - Alcohol, sedatives, sleeping pills and some antihistamines relax your throat more than usual. That may cause or worsen the blockage, snoring and apnea.
• Unblock your nose - if you have allergies or sinus problems, ask your doctor for help. Nasal strips may make breathing easier. Smoking worsens a stuffy nose, so if you smoke, quit.

Air Pressure Treatment

Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) is often an effective treatment for sleep apnea and severe snoring. A small portable pump beside the bed sends air through a hose, which is held over your nose by a mask. Air is gently pushed through your airway and widens the airway so you can breathe better.

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Tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy may be suggested if you are having difficulty breathing at night.  Enlarged tonsils may cause a narrowing of the airway.  Tonsillectomy is an outpatient procedure and may be performed alone or n conjunction with other procedures, based on your individual diagnosis and symptoms. 

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

This is the most common procedure for sleep apnea. It is major surgery performed in the hospital and usually involves an overnight stay. The procedure involves trimming the uvula, soft palate and other tissue from the back of the mouth, in addition to removing the tonsils.

Most insurance companies will not cover this procedure until the patient has had a sleep study and tried a course of CPAP.

Somnoplasty

Somnoplasty uses low-power, low temperature radiofrequency energy to treat a well-defined area in the base of tongue. The tissue is heated just enough to create an area of coagulation. Over the next three to eight weeks, the tissue shrinks, increasing airway space.

Somnoplasty is a relatively new procedure and may not be covered by all insurance companies.

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Pillar Implants

The Pillar Procedure uses three tiny inserts, which are placed in the soft palate to help reduce both the vibration that causes snoring and the ability of the soft palate to obstruct the airway. It is less invasive and less painful than tissue-removal procedures and is performed in the office setting.

The Pillar Procedure is a new treatment option for snoring and sleep apnea. Most insurance companies do not cover the cost of the implants.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea in children presents differently than adult sleep apnea. It can be as subtle as snoring with gasping and snorts, yet it creates a disruptive sleep pattern enough to impact patient's daily living. During an episode, the heart will slow, the sympathetic nervous system will be stimulated, blood pressure increases, the brain is stimulated and sleep is disrupted.

A sleep study can provide information regarding sleep patterns.

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