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Snoring Is Nothing To Joke About!
Do you wake up gasping for air? Have you been told that you snore, or that your snoring is really loud? Do you wake up in the morning feeling groggy and exhausted? If so, you may be suffering from a fairly common sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea.
During the night, the tissues in your throat and mouth relax, narrowing the opening for air to flow to you lungs. If you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, these tissues may be closing completely or narrowing to such a degree that little or no air flow gets to you lungs. When this happens, you startle awake and start breathing normally. Unfortunately, this usually occurs many times throughout the night, which is the reason you are so exhausted upon waking.
There are a number of very effective treatments for obstructive sleep apnea. But the first step is to get an accurate diagnosis. Snoring and exhaustion are symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). You should seek the advice of a physician trained in treating sleep disorders.
When you are referred to us for a sleep study, you’ll first select one of our many sleep centers throughout the county. Our sleep centers are staffed by sleep technologists trained specifically in the field of sleep medicine.
During the study, you’ll stay overnight at the sleep center. Our technicians monitor you sleep and measure your heart and respiration rates, as well as muscle movement and sleep cycles. After the study is completed, the results of the study will be forwarded to our Medical Director or another designated sleep specialist for interpretation. Based on the study results the referring physician can then determine whether you suffer from OSA or another sleep disorder.
If you do indeed suffer from apnea, there are a variety of treatments. Again, your physician, on the basis of your history and findings of the sleep study, will discuss these options with you. One of the more common treatment options is the use of a CPAP (Constant Positive Airway Pressure) machine, or a Bi-Level (BiPAP) machine.
Bi-level machines are sophisticated instruments that provide two levels of air pressure while you sleep. Many patients prefer the Bi-level machine over the CPAP machine, which forces one single level of air during sleep. The Bi-level machine is connected via a long tube to a mask or nasal pillows that are worn by the patient. The machine delivers an appropriate amount of air pressure to keep your air passages open during the night. This produces a Pneumatic (Air) Splint, keeping the airway open and stabilizing the soft palate and Velopharyngeal area, preventing collapse or vibration.
With an evaluation or sleep study in Los Angeles, you can quickly uncover the core reason for you not getting enough rest at night. Then, you can get the appropriate treatment – you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in your life. |
