Do I Need Surgery To Cure my Sleep Apnea?

• Posted on: Jan 15 2023
• By: editor

Affecting about 1 in 15 Americans, sleep apnea is one of the most common conditions that disrupt the ability to get a good night’s sleep. Even worse, sleep apnea, if left untreated, can cause several significant and adverse health effects, such as increased blood pressure, elevated risk for heart disease or diabetes, as well as disrupting concentration during the day.

There are two types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is the disruption of signals from your brain that tell your muscles to cause you to breathe, and relatively very uncommon. On the other hand, obstructive sleep apnea is much more frequently diagnosed and is the physical blockage of your airway, preventing you from getting adequate oxygen while you sleep.

These blockages are generally caused by the relaxing of muscles around your soft palate and throat, allowing them to drift or fall into the path of your airway. Although the blockage is temporary and your natural reflexing will generally clear your airway, the effects of these temporary blockages build up each night.

Although there is no specific cause of sleep apnea, several factors increase the likelihood of it developing, many of which can be avoided. Alcohol and tobacco use, especially right before trying to fall asleep, can have a sedative effect on your throat muscles. Obesity can also increase the risk of sleep apnea by causing more general constriction in your throat.

Some factors, such as gender, age, and family history, cannot be avoided.

If avoiding as many of the risk factors as you can, does not give you relief, there are treatments that can help. One of the most common is using a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP), which can help keep your airway open. The CPAP keeps a light air pressure in your airway to help prevent airway blockage through either a mask or a nasal covering that is worn at night.

For many people with sleep apnea, surgery is required to fully keep the temporary airway blockages. Although it is a more invasive procedure, the doctors at the ENT and Allergy Centers of Texas in the Plano area have the skills and experience to give the best chance of success.

Call the ENT and Allergy Centers of Texas at 972-984-1050 or visit www.enttx.com to schedule a consultation today.

Posted in: Obstructive Sleep Apnea