Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you are asleep. These pauses can last from 10 to 30 seconds each causing significant drop in blood oxygen called oxygen desaturation trama and result in you to wake up briefly multiple times during the night. Even though you might not remember these awakenings in the morning, they disrupt the quality of your sleep and never spending time in deeper restorative stage III and neurorestorative REM levels of sleep.
This condition goes beyond just feeling tired during the day. If left untreated, OSA can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, respiratory failure (where your lungs cannot provide enough oxygen to your body), high blood pressure, depression, dementia and more.
OSA occurs primarily due to the physical structure of your upper airway and how it behaves when you are not conscious. During sleep, your body loosens up, including the muscles in your throat. In some people, these muscles relax too much and as a result, the soft tissues at the back of the throat, including the tongue and the uvula (the small piece of tissue that hangs down at the back of your throat), collapse backward, partially blocking the airway.
This either reduces or completely cuts off the flow of air into your lungs. Your body detects this lack of air and sends signals to your brain to wake up, even if it’s just for a brief moment. You probably don’t remember these episodes, but they serve the purpose of reopening your airway.
This cycle of relaxation, airway blockage, awakening, and reopening of the airway can happen many times throughout the night; five times per hour is the norm for mild OSA, but in severe cases, it can occur 30 or more times. These events are called apneas and hypopneas and are measured to diagnose the severity of OSA.
Several factors can contribute to the risk of OSA, including obesity (which can lead to excess throat tissue), genetics, and lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol consumption.
Here are some sure-shot signs of obstructive sleep apnea that you should look out for:
One or more of these symptoms don’t necessarily mean you have OSA, but if you or someone you know notices several of these signs, do consult a healthcare professional for a proper evaluation.
At Aragona Sleep, our sleep dentist practitioners start by asking about your symptoms, sleep patterns, and any other health issues. To confirm OSA, you have to undergo a Physician ordered sleep study, which can be done in a sleep clinic or at home. Once a valid sleep study is completed, the nature and level of any OSA condition is objectively know
The home sleep test involves you wearing a few sensors to monitor your breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels while you sleep. It also counts the number of apneas (complete breathing pauses) and hypopneas (partial breathing reductions) you experience per hour of sleep. We also examine your throat, mouth, and neck to look for physical factors contributing to OSA, such as large tonsils or a narrow airway.
Once the sleep study is complete, we review the data to confirm if you have OSA and assess its severity based on your test results.
OSA affects your body in a variety of ways:
There are quite a few different ways to treat OSA, depending on the severity of the condition. For mild to moderate cases, oral appliance therapy works extremely well. As the name suggests, you are given a custom-made oral appliance (mandibular advancement device) to hold your jaw or tongue in a position that keeps your airway open. Wearing this mouthguard-like device is the easiest, most comfortable option to address your OSA.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) masks are recommended for more severe cases. You wear the mask over your nose and/or mouth while you sleep. It is connected to a machine that gently blows air into your throat. This air pressure keeps your airway open, so you can breathe normally.
If none of these treatments work, surgery might be the only option. A surgeon may need to remove or shrink tissues in your throat or reset the position of your jaw to create more space in that airway so it doesn’t collapse as easily.
No, it’s not. Not everyone who snores has OSA. If you occasionally snore, it probably happens because you are in deep sleep, have a cold, or have had a bit too much to drink. Some people only snore when they sleep on their back, but not on their side.
Snoring can indicate sleep apnea when it is loud enough to wake up your sleeping partner or yourself, AND it accompanies other symptoms we mentioned earlier.
A board-certified dentist who specializes in sleep disorders, like Dr. Sal Aragona, DDS, can identify oral signs of OSA, which may include:
He can also assess your risk factors and symptoms. Based on this, he can create a custom oral appliance to adjust the position of your jaw and tongue while you sleep. Doing this keeps your airway open, reducing the risk of it becoming blocked during sleep. Dr. Aragona can collaborate with other sleep specialists and your primary care doctor to provide comprehensive care. If your OSA is more acute, he might coordinate with other health providers for an integrated treatment plan.
Aragona Sleep accepts most major health insurance plans. If your insurance covers OSA treatment, there is a good chance we can work directly with your provider. We recommend checking with your insurance company first to understand what treatments are covered under your plan. We also partner with CareCredit, which is basically a healthcare credit card designed for your medical needs. It offers a convenient way to pay for sleep apnea treatment in case it is not covered by your insurance.
Call us at (586) 522-4326 or contact our office online to schedule a FREE sleep consultation.