Questions To Ponder
Do you have any of the following:
Do you experience loud snoring
and/or sleep apnea (a condition where breathing stops and restarts abruptly with
a loud snort or gasp)?
Have you been told that you
stop breathing at night or gasp or snort while asleep
Do you have difficulty falling
asleep or staying asleep?
Do you chronically or
excessively use sleep medications?
Do you often feel exhausted
and have trouble with simple tasks during the day?
Have you had an accident or
possible accident because of your lack of sleep?
Do you experience kicking or
jerking of your legs during sleep?
Is it hard for you to get up
in the morning?
Do you need an alarm clock to
wake up?
Do you sleep in on the
weekends?
Do you doze off in front of
the television or while reading a book?
Do
you Have:
Nightmares
Memory loss
Restless sleep
Morning headache
Nighttime disturbances
Difficulty breathing through your nose
Easily fall asleep while at work or while driving
If you answered YES to any of
the above questions, you may suffer from sleep apnea.
Are
you:
A smoker?
Overweight?
Often tired?
Would you like to:
Stop snoring?
Improve the quality of your sleep?
Improve the quality of your social life?
Be more energetic and perform better?
Laser surgery can help to reduce your snoring by 75%
What is Sleep Apnea?
- Sleep apnea refers to a disorder where an individual experiences stops breathing
during sleep. Every system in our body works with the use of oxygen. The
oxygen enters our body through our nasal passages and our mouth, into our lungs and then
distributed to the rest of our body organs. Once a person stops breathing and the throat
becomes blocked during the night, oxygen and air can't flow to the lungs. The lack of this
vital fuel (the oxygen) to important structures such as the brain and heart could lead to
significant medical problems including high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. The
important factor in understanding sleep apnea and its consequences is that it happens when
we are sleeping and unaware of the problem.
A sleep fragmentation, on the other hand, occurs when an
individual stops breathing and wakes up many times during the night because of the lack of
airflow to the lungs and the need for more oxygen. A reflux mechanism of gasping for
air, waking up with a cold sweat, having nightmares and snoring is a sign of sleep apnea.
An individual who suffers from sleep fragmentation and
sleep apnea may:
-
Toss and turn all night
-
Stop breathing many times
-
Wake up frequently during the night
-
Wake up very tired in the morning
-
Be sleepy in the afternoon
If you have a sleep apnea, your partner may
hear you alternate between snoring loudly and being very quiet. Your bed partner may even
wake you up and tell you that you that you have stopped breathing. It is not uncommon for
an individual who snores or suffers from sleep apnea to deny having any problem and being
unaware of the problem.
 
Other Symptoms of
Sleep Apnea
-
Waking up with a headache
-
Irritability and a short temper
-
Problems with concentration or
memory
-
Waking up tired, even after a full
night's sleep
-
Feeling very sleepy or falling
asleep at inappropriate times
- (such as at work or while driving your
car)
Interesting Facts &
Information
|
15 million Americans suffer from
chronic insomnia |
|
People who snore have greater tendencies to gain weight |
|
60
million Americans suffer from significant sleep disorders |
|
Sleep apnea is more common in the adult population than is asthma |
|
Sleep disorders cost the U.S. economy over 18 billion dollars each year |
|
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is considered the most common chronic illness in the U.S. |
|
If
your neck size is over 16.5" and you snore there is a 30% chance you have sleep apnea |
|
The DOT (Department of Transportation) estimates that 200,000 reported vehicular accidents each year may be sleep
related |
What are the factors affecting sleep apnea?
Obesity
A person is considered obese when his or her body weight is more than 20% of the average
weight based on the height. Sleep apnea is often associated with obesity. However it is
quite possible for an individual to have sleep apnea and not be overweight.
It is highly recommended for patients who suffer
from sleep apnea or snoring to modify and normalize their body weight, if possible. In
doing that, they may not require any treatment for sleep apnea. It has been proven that
sleep apnea could be self corrected by weight loss. Unfortunately the snoring could
continue if the cause of it is the enlarged uvula or tonsils and chronic nasal
obstruction.
Our personal evaluation of over 4000 patients in
fact confirms that weight loss, although may help to eliminate or reduce the intensity of
sleep apnea, may not significantly affect the snoring of a patient, surgical correction of
a snoring with laser has been proven most effective for elimination of snoring.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol, especially at night, disturbs the quality of your sleep. It also makes
the tissues in the back of your throat more prone to collapse when you breathe in and out.
It is highly recommended that alcoholic beverages should not be consumed several hours
prior to sleep.
Sedatives
Like alcohol, sedatives alter your sleep. They should not be taken by patients who suffer
from sleep apnea as this may intensify or worsen the condition of sleep apnea. It should
only be used as prescribed by a physician.
See if you are a candidate for this new
procedure. Schedule
your appointment online now
for consultation & evaluation!
1-800-206-2000
Dr. Madani is one of the pioneers of a new laser surgery technique to
treat snoring and mild sleep apnea. The material contained herein is
provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as
medical advice or instruction. Individuals with suspected or diagnosed
sleep apnea syndrome, any sleep disorder or other conditions discussed in
this site should consider a personal evaluation in our facility or contact
a qualified professional for further treatment.
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