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SLEEP APNEA LOS ANGELES

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WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?

The term “apnea” comes from a Greek word “apnoia,” which means “breathless.” Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that periodically halts breathing during sleep.

This condition is caused during the regular cycle when the tissues in the rear of the throat are relaxed, resulting in a blockage of the airway.

Sleep apnea can often sound like excessive snoring or choking sounds, with breath holding episodes, heavy snoring and restless sleep. OSA  patients can experience over one hundred episodes of apnea (10 second breath holds) in the hours of sleep. When lack of breathing occurs, the brain will send signals to the body to increase breathing and stimulate the individual to restart the breathing cycle. Many individuals have this sleep pattern leading to fatigue and chronic tiredness without the individual aware that they have sleep apnea.

CANDIDATES

If you have ever received a comment about heavy snoring, restless sleep including restless legs, choking noises during sleep or daytime fatigue after a full night’s rest, you may benefit from sleep apnea evaluation and treatment.

Sleep Apnea common problem and can range from mild to severe. These stats provide some perspective on how common this problem is:

  • One in five adults experience mild OSA
  • One in 15 adults suffers from moderate to severe OSA
  • One in 50 individuals suffer from undiagnosed OSA
  • Sleep Apnea can occur in thin individuals and children

CONSULTATION

Anyone who may be suffering from sleep apnea should schedule a consultation to ensure any of the following risks or issues do not develop as a result of the condition:

  • Weight gain
  • Memory problems
  • Headaches
  • Depression
  • Impotence
  • Increased risk of diabetes
  • Increased risk of high blood pressure
  • Three times greater risk of heart disease
  • Four times greater risk of stroke
  • Six times greater risk of being involved in a car crash

EVALUATION

Sinus Center Los Angeles is a multidisciplinary medical practice where sleep specialists, otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons, orthodontists, and maxillofacial surgeons collaborate to provide you with state-of-the-art medical technology and care. This approach is called Breathe Logic®

Breathe Logic® is our approach to solving the unique breathing issues that affects each patient. This focus means that the patient is evaluated in a state-of-the art facility that is private, exclusive with the best specialists working in close proximity.  This alleviates the need to be exposed to other patients at large university and impersonal medical centers.

Sinus Center LA, Jaw Center LA and Face Center LA combines 3 specialties:, ENT (ear, nose,throat) ,Maxillofacial ( jaw-face), and orthodontic practices into one evaluation process involving airway measurements (CT scan), Sleep study (home based) and maxillofacial – ENT throat.

TREATMENT

Depending on those needs and individual findings using scientific parameters, our specialist physicians and surgeons  will individualize and locate the exact site of the apnea and decide the best remedy with the patients direct input.

Using the Breathe Logic® approach, individual treatment will range for

  • Snoring without apnea: palate tightening – palatoplasty, implants
  • Sinus and congestion: Balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction
  • Nasal blockage: Septoplasty and turbinate reduction
  • Nasal airway collapse: Nasal valve repair (Spirox Latera grafting)
  • Palatoplasty: tightening of the palate, ablation and implant surgery
  • Tonsillectomy / Adenoidectomy: common cure for pediatric obstruction
  • CPAP – BiPAP masks – with face, nose, or nasal pillows
  • Orthodontic device – Splints to keep the oral airway open
  • Orthognathic (Jaw) surgery
    • Genioplasty
    • Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy (BSSO) for mandible (jawbone)
    • LeFort I Osteotomy for the Maxilla

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • How can I tell if I have sleep apnea?

    If you wake up fatigued during the day or a loved one has mentioned severe snoring or choking sounds during sleep, you may be one in 50 adults in the country suffering from undiagnosed OSA. Please contact Sinus Center LA to confirm a sleep apnea diagnosis.

  • What happens if I do not treat my sleep apnea?

    You could subject yourself to countless health issues down the line, which includes weight gain, memory problems, headaches, depression, impotence, and increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

THE DANGERS OF SLEEP APNEA

Society often makes light of snoring. It is meant to be a funny plot point that consistently appears on television and in movies. One spouse snores, so the other cannot sleep. However, snoring could be indicative of a severe condition. Sleep apnea is a disorder that periodically causes you to stop breathing while you sleep. Untreated, sleep apnea can cause other issues in your body such as stroke, heart attacks, and chronic fatigue. These can be serious and potentially life-threatening problems, so treating sleep apnea is of the utmost importance. Sinus Center LA , Jaw Center LA, and Face Center LA offer treatments designed to help you energize and sleep perfectly!

WHAT SLEEP APNEA DOES TO THE BODY

If you do not determine and address the causes of your sleep apnea, you could be at higher risk for other medical conditions. Because sleep apnea disrupts your regular sleep patterns, your body is not getting the full rest that it needs to be productive and healthy. This can impede immune response, making your entire body more susceptible to disease.

Sleep apnea restricts your supply of oxygen. Although each episode of oxygen starvation typically lasts less than one minute, those with sleep apnea can endure several episodes over the course of a night, week, month, or any length of time. Because your body is unable to perform respiratory functions at their optimum level, the patient become increasingly fatigued.

The effects of sleep apnea are cumulative. If you suffer from this disorder, your bodily functions will experience the negative impact of your lack of sleep, reduced immune function, and reduced oxygen flow. Sleep apnea can trigger more severe conditions, such as:

  • Weight gain
  • Impotence
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Stroke
  • Heart attacks

Additionally, sleep apnea can significantly affect your mental faculties as well. Lack of sleep (even if you are unaware it is occurring) affects your brain function, personality, and quality of life. When your body loses sleep, your brain is unable to retain memories, which can cause some memory loss. You may feel that you cannot mentally perform at your highest level, which can lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction with yourself. It even increases your risk of being in a car accident. More serious mental health conditions, including depression, can also be attributed to sleep apnea.

HOW CAN I TREAT MY SLEEP APNEA?

The Sinus Center LA under Dr. C. Philip Amoils MD, FACS offers multiple treatments for sleep apnea. During your personal consultation with our specialists, we will determine which of the following procedures is best suited for your specific situation.

BREATHE LOGIC®

Breathe Logic® is the scientific algorithm to enhance better breathing in conjunction with orthodontics and maxillofacial therapy. The ENT specialist, Dr. Amoils, will evaluate you and offer the best pathway for you to breathe at your maximum. It will change your life!

You can learn more about how to treat your sleep apnea by contacting our office for a consultation. We can be reached at (310) 862-2288.