| Sleep apnea is when someone involuntarily | | | | used at night to keep the airway open), |
| does not breath during sleep. It can be | | | | dental repositioning devices, and surgery. |
| either central or obstructive. Central apnea, | | | | |
| which is less common, is when the brain | | | | During normal breathing, air passes through |
| forgets to tell the body to breath. | | | | the throat on its way to the lungs. The air |
| Obstructive apnea occurs when the muscles or | | | | travels past the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, |
| soft tissue in the throat prevents the normal | | | | and tongue. When a person is awake, the |
| movement of air. The signs of obstructive | | | | muscles in the back of the throat tighten to |
| sleep apnea include severe snoring, breath | | | | hold these structures in place preventing |
| holding, fatigue, and morning headache. | | | | them from collapsing into the airway. During |
| | | | sleep, these structures can fall into the |
| Sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a sleep | | | | airway causing snoring and obstructive sleep |
| study. A sleep study measures the heart | | | | apnea. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with or |
| rate, breathing patterns, and brain waves of | | | | without tonsillectomy are surgical |
| the patient while they sleep. It is | | | | procedures designed to circumvent this sleep |
| absolutely essential that this study be done | | | | releated collapse of these structures. The |
| on anyone suspected of having sleep apnea. | | | | new Laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) |
| | | | is a laser surgical procedure designed to |
| The treatments for sleep apnea include weight | | | | sequentially trim and shorten the palate |
| loss, avoidence of sleep depressants | | | | preventing or reducing snoring. Its effect |
| (alcohol, sleeping pills, etc), CPAP ( a mask | | | | on sleep apnea is unproven. |