Millions of Americans have sleep-related difficulties, of which snoring and sleep apnea are the most common. Both snoring and sleep apnea are forms of obstruction of breathing.
Snoring
Snoring is a very common medical and social problem which affects almost every household at some point in time. Factors contributing to snoring include nasal blockage on one side or both, enlarged tonsils, lots of tissue in the roof of the mouth (floppy soft palate), or weight gain and sometimes medical problems such as low functioning thyroid.
In many cases, procedures which can be done in our office are effective in improving or eliminating snoring. Available techniques include the placement of small threads of cotton in the palate (the Restore® procedure), stiffening the soft palate using radio wave frequencies (the Coblation procedure), and laser or electrical shortenings of the uvula.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing obstruction actually leads to a lack of airflow for extended periods of time. Often sleep apnea is associated with early morning fatigue, daytime sleepiness, morning headache, high blood pressure, attention issues, sometimes worsening of depression. When extensive disease is present, sleep apnea can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A diagnosis of sleep apnea is usually made through a clinical exam and a sleep study that can be scheduled through our office. The results might lead to the use of a short-term or long-term oxygen mask therapy. Surgical interventions such as removal of the tonsils, septal and turbinate surgery to improve nasal airflow, and/or trimming of the soft palate may also be considered if appropriate.
Tonsils and adenoids and heavy snoring in children
Pre- and post-operative instructions
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