Snoring can be a sign that you are suffering from sleep apnea. Many people who struggle with the condition don’t know they have it until it causes further health problems. If you are concerned about your snoring or think you may have obstructed sleep apnea, the sooner you do something about it, the better. Dr. A. James Paine, Jr. can help to develop an effective procedure plan to diagnose and treat your condition.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
That loud snoring when you sleep may be more than just a nuisance for your partner. Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious and common medical condition characterized by a blockage of the airways when one sleeps. If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, your breathing passage is collapsing in on itself when you go to bed. This can cause either a complete stoppage of breath (apnea) or may cause you to experience, short, staggering or shallow breaths (hypopnea).
Because of this, a person suffering from sleep apnea may spend the majority of their sleep without adequate breathing. Outside of daytime fatigue and drowsiness, this can also cause your blood-oxygen level to drop and may even lead to problems with heart disease or stroke if left untreated.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment
Dr. Paine will discuss various treatment options for snoring and sleep apnea when you come in for your consultation. If you are only experiencing minor snoring problems, surgery will likely not be necessary. However, patients with severe obstructed sleep apnea may need to undergo sleep apnea surgery with Dr. Paine to prevent future health problems from developing.
Sleep apnea surgery, or somnoplasty, is a procedure that reduces obstructive tissue in the back of the mouth to prevent the airway from closing when you sleep. Many patients who have undergone a somnoplasty with Dr. Paine were not only able to significantly improve their sleep apnea, but were also able to reduce or even entirely eliminate their snoring.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment
For more information about treatment options for snoring and sleep apnea, contact our office to speak with West Virginia ENT specialist and board-certified cosmetic surgeon, Dr. A. James Paine, Jr.
