Sleep Apnea Specialist

What’s sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that can affect sleep quality, increase daytime fatigue, and contribute to increased risks for cardiovascular disease. People with untreated sleep apnea can have episodes where they stop breathing or simply don’t get enough air hundreds of times during the night. This means the brain and body may not get enough oxygen.

There are 2 types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): The more common of the 2 forms of apnea, this occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep, creating a narrowing or blockage of the upper airway despite ongoing efforts to breathe.
• Central sleep apnea: In this form of apnea, the brain does not consistently signal the muscles to breathe, often causing periods where there is no breathing effort, interspersed with periods of resumed airflow.

What are the effects of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea causes several health problems if left untreated, including:

• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Worsening of ADD symptoms
• Headaches
• Frequent nighttime urination
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
• Heart attacks or coronary artery disease

How is sleep apnea diagnosed?  

Santa Monica Sleep Disorders Center offers a wide range of options for both home and lab-based sleep apnea testing. Dr. Norman conducts an evaluation to determine what form of testing is most appropriate for each patient.Once the diagnosis is made, he works with the patient to form a treatment plan to meet their specific needs.

How is sleep apnea treated?

There are now a number of different treatment options for sleep apnea. Some patients are excellent candidates for oral appliance therapy, which uses a retainer-like device to keep the lower jaw forward during sleep, opening the airway. Some patients elect to pursue surgery to correct anatomic problems that may contribute to narrowing of their throat. Some patients have sleep apnea only when they are on their back - and may benefit from therapies designed to minimize time spent sleeping in this position. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices connect via a long, flexible tube to  a mask that is placed in the nostrils, over the nose, or over the nose and mouth and use air pressure to keep the throat open all night, when muscle relaxation during sleep would otherwise cause narrowing of the airway.  While many patients have reasonable skepticism about the usability of these devices, modern CPAP machines can be virtually silent, easy to use, an unobtrusive when combined with a small and lightweight mask.  Santa Monica Sleep Disorders Center proudly offers a new form of treatment that is effective for obstructive sleep apnea called Provent sleep apnea therapy. This is a discreet, disposable device applied to the nostrils at night. It uses your own breathing to create expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) and hold the airway open and enable natural airflow. Provent therapy can only be used through a prescription. Other options, such as Winx therapy or upper airway stimulation therapy (i.e Inspire) are also discussed when appropriate.

If you’re interested in learning more about options available for sleep apnea therapy, call the office today to make an appointment with Dr. Norman.