Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What Keeps You from Breathing at Night

Obstructive sleep apnea, also known as OSA, is the most common type of sleep apnea. Interstate Dental Clinic provides people in the Portland, OR area with treatment for this sleep disorder. OSA is characterized by breathing passages being momentarily obstructed during sleep, leading to gasping and skipped breaths. The person tries to inhale but cannot get any oxygen since the airway is blocked.

Seeking obstructive sleep apnea treatment with Edward Ward, D.M.D., can improve your overall health, but that's not all. There's another real benefit of sleep apnea treatment, and that's treating snoring. If your husband or wife snores, you know just what a prize that would be. Research suggests that snoring treatment can actually improve the quality of a marriage!

Not everyone who snores suffers from sleep apnea. On the other hand, people with sleep apnea almost always snore. Snoring is just the rumbling sound of breathing, and it's not a health problem in and of itself. Sleep apnea, however, is sleep disordered breathing, and it can have negative health consequences.

Dr. Ward may suggest treatment options including lifestyle changes, CPAP breathing machines, or oral appliance therapy. Only in the most serious situations, when other treatments have failed, is sleep apnea surgery considered. Surgery removes the oral and throat tissue that block the airway.

No matter what, treatment begins with a consultation. If you're a Portland sleep apnea sufferer , call us at (833) 319-2024 to schedule an appointment now.