Sleep apnea is a common but potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops while sleeping. If you snore and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea. At Sonoran Sleep Center, board-certified sleep medicine doctor Sarah Patel, MD, specializes in diagnosing sleep apnea. She even discusses cutting-edge treatment options, including CPAP, neurostimulation (including Inspire) and the mandibular advancement device. To make an appointment in Glendale, Arizona, call the office or book online today.
Sleep apnea is a group of disorders that cause you to stop and start breathing multiple times during sleep.
At Sonoran Sleep Center, Dr. Patel diagnoses and treats all three types of sleep apnea, including:
If you have OSA, the soft tissues at the back of your throat relax during sleep. This affects your ability to breathe, causing you to wake up gasping for air.
Central sleep apnea occurs when there’s a disconnect between your brain and the muscles that help control breathing.
Complex sleep apnea combines aspects of OSA and central sleep apnea.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include:
This awakening is usually so brief that you may not remember it and happens numerous times throughout the night increasing inflammation throughout your body.
It also can impair your ability to reach the deep, restful phases of sleep and affect you during the day
At Sonoran Sleep Center, Dr. Patel diagnoses sleep apnea with home sleep apnea testing or overnight polysomnography. The state-of-the-art facilities feature several overnight suites designed to look more like hotel rooms than medical offices.
At the beginning of polysomnography, Dr. Patel attaches a series of electrodes to your head, limbs, and chest. The electrodes monitor various bodily functions while you sleep, including the electrical activity of your brain, eye movements, heart rate, muscle activity, and breathing patterns.
If you stop breathing at any time during the night, the electrodes record that information. Dr. Patel reviews your test results the following morning and develops a custom treatment plan that aligns with your needs.
At Sonoran Sleep Center, Dr. Patel treats sleep apnea using a combination of healthy lifestyle changes and advanced treatments. Depending on the type of sleep apnea you have, Dr. Patel might recommend:
If these measures don’t provide relief, Dr. Patel might recommend:
Inspire Sleep is an implantable device in your upper palate during a brief outpatient procedure. This is an alternative therapy for patients who could not tolerate CPAP. Dr. Patel helps manage sleep related issues after Inspire is implanted.
If you prefer a noninvasive treatment option, Dr. Patel might prescribe a mandibular advancement device for mild to moderate OSA. A MAD is a customized mouthguard that fits over your bottom teeth to advance the bottom jaw. It slightly advances your lower jaw forward, opening up your airways.
Don’t let sleep apnea prevent you from getting a restful night’s sleep. To make an appointment at Sonoran Sleep Center, call the office or book online today.
