If you wake up in the morning and don’t feel refreshed by a good night’s sleep, you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), one of the most common sleep disorders. It occurs when your airway becomes obstructed and closed off while you are trying to breathe during sleep. Symptoms include frequent, repeated cessation of breathing while asleep, loud snoring, suddenly waking up to breathe again, feeling tired after a full night’s sleep, choking or gasping during sleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day and morning headaches, sore throat or dry mouth.
How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
The most common nonsurgical treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP), which uses a machine to deliver a gentle amount of air pressure via a mask to keep the airway open. People with OSA need to use the CPAP at home every night while they sleep, and it may take some time to get used to it.
But what if you decide CPAP is not right for you? Our oral surgeons at Oral & Facial Surgeons of Arizona are highly skilled in sleep apnea treatment, including new ways to treat sleep apnea that don’t rely on a CPAP machine. Here’s a glimpse of four of them:
- Uvolo-palato-pharyngo-plasty (UPPP): surgery used to modify the tissue at the back of the soft palate and throat
- Laser-assisted uvulo-palato-plasty (LAUPP): similar to UPPP, this surgery is performed with a laser
- Tightening of the soft palate using a radio-frequency probe
- For complex cases, repositioning of the upper and lower jaw to increase the size of the airway
If you’re wondering if you have OSA—and what can be done to treat it—contact our Tempe or Arcadia office today to schedule a consultation with one of our oral surgeons, who are experts in the field.