Snoring / Obstructive Sleep Apnea

What are the symptoms?
  • Loud breathing from the mouth
  • Pauses in your breathing while sleeping (witnessed apneas)
  • Sleeping in separate bedrooms
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Morning headaches
What’s going on behind the scenes?
Snoring can be very disruptive and unpleasant for your sleeping partner. This can cause poor sleep and cause significant social strain. Nasal blockage from a deviated nasal septum or vibration and obstruction from an elongated soft palate are common causes. If snoring is noted along with significant daytime fatigue, then evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea is necessary. ENT physicians tend to focus on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obstructive sleep apnea is a multi-level upper airway problem with multiple points of obstruction from the nose, palate, tonsils, tongue, and throat. Unfavorable anatomy and excessive weight gain are typical causes.
How Tucson ENT can help
For snoring only, both surgical and minimally invasive remedies are possible. If the palate is deemed to be the major issue, then Elevoplasty may help you. Non-surgical options like a Somnoguard mandibular advancement device may alleviate snoring. Trimming the uvula is another possibility. If you feel very tired despite a full night’s (8 hours) sleep or your sleeping partner notices pauses in your breathing at night, then consider evaluation with a sleep test. These can be done at home or in the lab. If positive, then continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the first line treatment. However, if CPAP is either ineffective or not well tolerated, then alternatives can be considered. These include a mandibular advancement device (Somnoguard), hyoid suspension (Airlift), uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), upper airway stimulation implant (Inspire) . A drug induced sleep endoscopy can be performed to find which combination of therapies would be most beneficial.
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Snoring / Obstructive Sleep Apnea

East Office

(520) 296-8500

2121 N. Craycroft Rd. Building 5
Tucson, Arizona 85704

Hours

8AM - 12:30PM
1:30PM - 5:00PM
Mon - Fri

East Office Appointment


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Northwest Office

(520) 575-1272

1358 W. Orange Grove Rd.
Tucson, Arizona 85704

Hours

8AM - 12:30PM
1:30PM - 5:00PM
Mon - Fri

Northwest Office Appointment


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Any information provided on this Web site should not be considered medical advice or a substitute for a consultation with a physician. If you have a medical problem, contact your local physician for diagnosis and treatment.