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What is Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) occurs when your muscles relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to collapse and block your airway. The obstruction may occur from the area of the soft palate to below the base of the tongue, this can cause you to stop breathing for anywhere from a few seconds to almost a minute at a time. These breathing pauses are followed by brief awakenings that disturb your sleep – even if you don’t realize it!

Symptoms of OSA

  • Snoring

  • Fatigue or Tiredness

  • Falling Asleep while Reading, Watching TV or Driving

  • Freguent Overnight Urination

  • Mood Swings

  • Poor Sleep

  • ​Morning Headaches

  • Wake from Sleep from Coughing or Choking

  • Grinding of Teeth

  • Sexual Dysfunction

  • Weight Gain

Airway Obstructed Graphic
Distressed Sleeping

Common symptoms include:  

  • Waking unrefreshed

  • Being tired during the day

  • Morning headaches

  • Waking up frequently at night to go to the bathroom

  • Difficulty concentrating or remembering things

What is Snoring?

Snoring is the sign of a breathing problem. It occurs when the jaw opens and the tongue falls into the back of the throat, causing the airway to narrow and forcing air through the smaller opening. This creates sound vibrations in the throat known as snoring. Snoring can seriously affect your quality of life. It can be embarrassing and inconvenient, and can cause problems in relationships. In some cases, snoring is a red flag for a more serious medical problem called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Disorders Associated with Snoring & Sleep Apnea

  • Diabetes

  • Heart Attack / Stroke

  • High Blood Pressure

  • Cardiovascular Disease & Arrhythmias

  • TMJ pain disorders

  • Menopause Induced Sleep Apnea

  • Depression / Anxiety

  • Obesity

  • Acid Reflux

Airway Partial Collapse Graphic

How is OSA Diagnosed?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea must be diagnosed by a doctor, so you should ask your primary care doctor for a sleep evaluation. Your primary care doctor may provide a diagnosis or may refer you to a doctor who specializes in treating sleep problems. To find out if you have OSA, your doctor or the sleep specialist will complete a sleep evaluation. This may involve either an overnight sleep test at a sleep center or a home sleep apnea test (HSAT). A sleep specialist will interpret the data from your sleep test. The information from the evaluation and the sleep test results will be used to determine if you have OSA.

The Consequences of OSA
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