Apnea del sueño
Las personas con apnea obstructiva del sueño (OSA) have disrupted sleep and low blood oxygen levels. When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, la lengua se aspira contra la parte posterior de la garganta. This blocks the upper airway and stops airflow. Cuando el nivel de oxígeno en el cerebro se vuelve lo suficientemente baja, el durmiente despierta parcialmente, the throat obstruction clears, y el flujo de aire se inicia de nuevo, por lo general con un fuerte jadeo.
Los ciclos repetidos de disminución de plomo oxigenación a muy graves problemas cardiovasculares. Adicionalmente, people with sleep apnea suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, depresión, y pérdida de concentración.
Algunos pacientes tienen obstrucciones que son menos grave llamada síndrome de resistencia de la vía aérea superior (Uahris), also known as snoring. En cualquier caso, los individuos sufren muchos de los mismos síntomas.
Treating sleep apnea starts by recognizing the symptoms. Consult your primary physician. Your doctor will likely refer you to asleep apnea specialist.
In addition to gathering a detailed history, the specialists will assess the anatomic relationships in the maxillofacial region. With a skull x-rays, the physician can ascertain the level of obstruction. Specialists will sometimes conduct a naso-pharyngeal exam with a flexible fiber-optic camera. Para confirmar la cantidad de alteraciones cardiovasculares y la disminución de los niveles de oxigenación, they may recommend a sleep study.
Hay varias opciones de tratamiento disponibles:
- An initial treatment may include a nasal CPAP machine, which delivers pressurized oxygen through a nasal mask to limit obstruction at night. This is the gold standard of care.
- An uvulo-palato-pharyngo-plasty (UPFP) is a surgical option that is performed in the back of the soft palate and throat.
- Another procedure is called a laser assisted uvulo-palato-plasty (LAUPP).
- En otros casos, specialists use a radio-frequency probe to tighten the soft palate.
- En casos más complejos, los huesos de la mandíbula superior e inferior pueden ser reposicionados para aumentar el tamaño de la vía aérea (cirugía ortognática). This procedure is done in the hospital under general anesthesia.
… and there is a dental option:
- Dr.. Mike y Dr.. Janet offer a comfortable, eficaz, custom treatment for sleep apnea called Oral Appliance Therapy. Your jaw is moved only as far forward as required to treat your sleep apnea condition.
- This treatment helps patients without surgery, masks, tubes, and noisy machines.
What will we do?
- We will thoroughly examine your teeth and mouth and may use digital x-rays to confirm you oral health status and eligibility for the procedure.
- We will ask you to coordinate with your primary care physician for a sleep study. We will review the sleep study and determine if we can assist you with Oral Appliance Therapy or if you have to be referred to a specialist. If we are able to assist you the next steps would be:
- Dental impressions are required to create the appliance.
- These impressions are sent to the lab where the custom appliance is fabricated.
- We will fit the custom appliance and provide care instructions.
Sleep apnea is a very serious condition that needs careful attention and treatment.