Sleep apnea happens when a person’s breathing stops and starts again during sleep. This happens all throughout the night. Left untreated, it could result in heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure. The good news is that sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle modifications, oral appliances, medications, medical devices such as a CPAP machine, surgical intervention, or a combination of these.

Your exact treatment plan will depend on your specific symptoms and their severity. It will be up to your doctor in Northwest Otolaryngology, Dr. Jason M. Hanson or Dr. Jonathan Lusardi, to create your sleep apnea treatment plan after your consultation in our Bridgeton, MO, or O’Fallon, MO, location.

Lifestyle Modifications for Sleep Apnea

• Lose excess weight.
• Stop smoking.
• Avoid taking sleeping pills.
• Limit your intake of alcohol.
• Modify your sleeping position to ensure proper breathing.

CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy for Sleep Apnea

With CPAP therapy, you will need to wear a mask that fits over your mouth and nose during sleep. Your mask will be attached to the CPAP machine that will provide constant airflow into the nose as you sleep to help keep the airways open and promote proper breathing. There’s also BPAP or bi-level positive airway pressure therapy that works similar to CPAP, except that the airflow changes upon breathing in and out.

Oral Appliances for Treating Sleep Apnea

These help in opening up your airways as you sleep and are customized by doctors with special training in sleep apnea including otolaryngologists, oral surgeons, or dentists. Consult with your doctor in our Bridgeton, MO, or O’Fallon, MO, office if oral appliances will be effective for your sleep apnea.

Surgical Procedures to Treat Sleep Apnea

Your doctor might suggest surgery if you suffer from a condition that restricts or narrows your throat such as a deviated septum, an overbite with a small jaw, or enlarged tonsils. These surgical interventions typically include the following:

• Nasal Surgery: This is usually done to resolve a deviated septum.
• Mandibular Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery: Certain throat blockages or facial issues can be treated through this surgery.
• UPPP or Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty: This surgery is used for taking out some tissue from the palate and throat’s back portions to widen your airway.

Depending on your particular symptoms, your doctor may likewise recommend medication for treating daytime sleepiness that occurs due to sleep apnea or somnoplasty, an in-office procedure for stiffening and shrinking soft palate tissue.

For Questions and More Information on Sleep Apnea, Give Us a Call

Schedule an appointment with one of our doctors here at Northwest Otolaryngology, Dr. Jason M. Hanson or Dr. Jonathan Lusardi. You can reach our Bridgeton, MO, office at (314) 291-5307 and our O'Fallon, MO, office at (636) 379-6006.