Estrella ENT

Common Causes and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Many couples have to address the issue of snoring at some point during their relationship. Before you address your significant other, consider approaching them about the possibility of having sleep apnea.            

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that prevents patients from receiving enough air into the lungs. This sleeping disorder disrupts sleep and often results in excessive daytime fatigue.  In severe cases, sleep apnea may contribute to the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

To learn more about sleep apnea, visit Estrella ENT. Sleep apnea is typically a sign of another problem, including a sinus infection or throat difficulties.  Make an appointment with our professionals today at (602) 652-2097 to get to the root of the problem.

How Snoring Can Become a Health Risk

While snoring can be an annoyance to anyone trying to sleep, it may actually be a sign of a more serious sleep disorder. Snoring is often a symptom of a disorder known as sleep apnea. Read on to learn more about the dangers of and treatment options for this condition.

Sleep Apnea

Snoring may lead to a form of obtrusive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when the muscles in the back of your throat relax and cause your throat to close, impeding your breathing. Episodes of breathing problems can last anywhere from 20 seconds to three minutes. Patients suffering from sleep apnea will often have their sleep interrupted suddenly multiple times throughout the night by gasping and trouble breathing.

Signs

The most obvious sign of sleep apnea is snoring. If your snoring persists and worsens over the course of several months, then consider making an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Other signs of sleep apnea include daytime fatigue, abrupt awakenings from sleep accompanied with feelings of shortness of breath, and awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat.

Risks

Unaddressed snoring, which can lead to the development of sleep apnea, generates a multitude of problems, ranging from mild to severe.  In mild cases, you and your partner may suffer from daytime fatigue, as your quality of sleep will suffer from constant interruptions.  In more severe cases of sleep apnea, you may experience complications during surgery due to the cessation of breathing while under anesthesia.

Treatment

There are a variety of treatment options for sleep apnea, depending on the severity of your condition. An oral appliance may be inserted to keep your throat open as you sleep. Several types of surgeries exist to rectify sleep apnea, including a tracheostomy where an incision is placed in your neck to add an extra air way as you sleep.

To learn more about the treatment options for sleep apnea, contact Estrella ENT. Visit us at one of our two convenient Arizona locations for your throat assessment and treatment. Schedule your appointment today at (602) 652-2097.

More Ways to Prevent and Clear Sinuses!

To read more about sinuses and how to keep them clear, or to learn more about breathing problems that your ENT doctor can diagnose, check out the following useful resources.  If you would like to find out more about your specific and unique sinus or breathing problem, then schedule an appointment with one of the ear, nose, and throat doctors with Estrella ENT by calling (602) 652-2097.

• This article from Harvard Health Publications offers 7 specific tips on ways to keep your sinuses clear.
• To learn what steps you can take in your diet to help keep your sinuses clear, read this article from LiveStrong.
• In this article from WebMD you can learn more about breathing problems, how they are diagnosed, and the various treatment options.

Tips to Keep Your Sinuses Clear

Suffering from congested sinuses is not only uncomfortable but can also affect your sleep, which can have a lasting effect on your professional and personal life.  If you are becoming congested, then use the following tips to clear your sinuses.

Everyday Steps You Can Take

• If your sinus congestion bothers you at night as you attempt to sleep, try elevating your head with pillows to allow your sinuses to drain.
• To clean your sinuses and loosen mucus, try using a saline (salt water) nasal spray.
• To alleviate sinus pain, try using warm compresses. You may find that using over-the-counter pain relievers can reduce pain and fever.
• Inhale steam 3-4 times per day.  Boil at pan of water, then turn off the heat once steam begins to rise. With a towel over your head, carefully lean over the pot of steaming hot water and breathe deeply through your nose. Use extreme caution when attempting this, as the water will be very hot.

Diet

• Drink lots of clear fluids, particularly water, to dilute mucus and encourage congestion to drain.
• Try eating foods with cayenne or horseradish to encourage mucus drainage.
• Focus on eating non-mucus forming foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Avoid mucus-forming foods, including bleached grains (like those in white bread, rice, and pasta), meat, and dairy.

Medication

• When necessary, use decongestants, like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, to reduce congestion. It is important to note, however, that these medications can cause a rapid pulse, make you jittery, and raise your blood pressure. 
• Avoid antihistamines because they have a tendency to thicken mucus and make it difficult to drain.

For any problems you encounter within your sinuses, turn to one of the expert ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors with Estrella ENT. Schedule an appointment with one of our ENT specialists by calling (602) 652-2097. At Estrella ENT, we strive to provide the best patient-doctor relationship and give you the best treatments possible.

Disclaimer:

The materials available at this website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical advice. You should contact your doctor to obtain advice with respect to any particular medical issue or problem. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site do not create a doctor-client relationship. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the medical office or any individual doctor or physician.

Yoga Poses for Sinus Congestion

If you suffer from sinus congestion, you know how truly unpleasant and disruptive to daily life it can be.  In this video, you will learn some yoga poses that will help you clear out sinus congestion.  Watching this video will not only give you a visual demonstration of the suggested poses, but there is also information provided about how each pose works and how you can get the most out of each pose.

Whether you suffer from sinusitis, allergies, snoring, or sleep apnea, the ENT doctors and specialists of Estrella ENT are there to build a one-to-one relationship with you to diagnose and treat your ear, nose or throat problems.  To schedule an appointment with one of the ear, nose, and throat doctors of Estrella ENT, call (602) 652-2097.