How Our Office Could Help Ease Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Posted on 12/21/2020 by Ankur Johri
Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans. It occurs as a result of either your throat muscles relaxing and blocking your airway, or your brain not sending the right signals to the muscles that control your breathing. Sleep apnea causes your breathing to slow down or even stop completely for periods of time while you are sleeping. When treatment methods such as oral appliances and CPAP machines are not effective, our team of professionals can perform surgery to ease your sleep apnea symptoms.
What Symptoms Does Sleep Apnea Cause?
Sleep apnea causes a variety of symptoms that disrupt not only your sleep, but your daily life as well. People with sleep apnea often snore loudly, wake up gasping for air, wake up with a dry mouth or throat, and experience poor sleep quality overall. If you have sleep apnea, you might also be excessively tired during the day and struggle with insomnia, nightmares, headaches, irritability, and more.
Surgery for Sleep Apnea
Oral appliances and CPAP devices are usually the first treatment option prescribed for sleep apnea patients. However, many people find these devices uncomfortable and would prefer another option. There are several different surgical procedures that can be used to treat sleep apnea. The most common procedure performed on sleep apnea patients is called a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP. During this procedure, excess tissue is removed from the palate and pharynx, and the tonsils are also removed if the patient still has them. After removing the tissue, we suture the area to keep it open and unobstructed.
Other surgeries that are used to treat sleep apnea include nasal surgeries for patients who suffer from nasal congestion and obstruction; the Pillar Procedure, which involves placing rods in the palate; advancement of the hyoid, tongue, or lower jaw; tongue base reduction; and tracheostomy. If you have sleep apnea and want to explore your treatment options, call our office today.
Dental Blog | Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Allentown, PA Check out the dental blog that Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Allentown, PA put together to educate our patients. Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 1251 S Cedar Crest Blvd #311, Allentown, PA 18103 • (610) 435-6161 • lehighoms.com • 10/6/2024 • Page Phrases: oral surgeon Allentown PA •
Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans. It occurs as a result of either your throat muscles relaxing and blocking your airway, or your brain not sending the right signals to the muscles that control your breathing. Sleep apnea causes your breathing to slow down or even stop completely for periods of time while you are sleeping. When treatment methods such as oral appliances and CPAP machines are not effective, our team of professionals can perform surgery to ease your sleep apnea symptoms.