SLEEP APNEA & SNORING

Helping To Identify Serious Health Risks

Get Restful, Uninterrupted Sleep

Helping You Sleep Without Obstruction

Snoring is a common issue that affects just about everyone at some point in their life. While snoring can just be a sign of poor sleeping posture or a relaxed airway, it can also be a troublesome sign of a deeper issue that requires medical intervention. At Oyster Point Oral And Facial Surgery, we’re proud to assist patients with chronic snoring and sleep apnea treatment.

Snoring occurs when the relaxed tissues in your throat, such as the uvula and tonsils, vibrate as you breathe. When this airway is unobstructed, the air flows right past the soft tissues without making a sound. However, when the tissues are overly relaxed or incorrectly positioned, they block the airway, causing them to vibrate as the air pushes past them.

Sleep Apnea

Determining The Factors That Affect You

What Causes Snoring?

Any number of things can block your airflow as you sleep, from sleeping position to alcohol consumption right before bed. In addition to these lifestyle-related causes, snoring can also begin as the result of medical and/or physical traits that predispose you to developing a snoring problem. However, most cases of chronic snoring will come about from some combination of these lifestyle factors and genetic predispositions. Dr. Lee will consult with you directly to determine what factors may be affecting you specifically. 

Sleep Apnea

Lifestyle factors that may contribute to snoring include:

  • Drinking alcohol before bed

  • Smoking

  • Being overweight

  • Taking certain medications

  • Having allergies 

  • Sleeping on back

Sleep Apnea

Medical factors that may contribute to snoring include:

  • Biological sex

  • Facial structure

  • Age

  • Hormones

Providing Several Treatment Methods In Newport News, VA

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Snoring alone can have a negative impact on your quality of sleep and stress levels during the day. However, chronic or very loud snoring can be a sign of a more serious issue: sleep apnea. As such, it’s important to consult with your doctor to determine if your snoring is simply a side effect of your lifestyle and medical predispositions or a symptom of a far more dangerous condition.

Many people with sleep apnea simply believe they have a snoring problem. This is a common mistake, as snoring is one of the most obvious symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and it can form as a result of all the same factors that result in chronic snoring. However, while snoring occurs when the soft tissues within your throat partially obstruct your airflow, sleep apnea occurs when those tissues fully block the airway, cutting off your air entirely.

This is a far more serious issue that can pose a serious health risk. As you’re asleep, you may not even be aware that you aren’t breathing until your body’s self-protection mechanisms kick in and force your body to gasp awake. Through this entire process, you may not even realize that you’re waking up multiple times a night in order to breathe properly. Not only is this dangerous, but it results in your feeling poorly rested even after a full night’s sleep and lowers your blood oxygen levels, making you feel lethargic throughout the day.

Why Choose Oyster Point Oral & Facial Surgery?

How We Can Help

The first step in treating a sleep-related problem is to consult with your doctor as well as loved ones or roommates who may have observed you sleeping. By gathering information about your sleep habits, we can determine whether you are experiencing a snoring problem or obstructive sleep apnea.

From there, we collect a detailed history and assess the anatomic relationships in your maxillofacial region. Using a cephalometric (skull x-ray) analysis, our doctors can ascertain the level of obstruction. Occasionally, other examinations will be performed to inspect the naso-pharyngeal areas of your face. Lastly, we may conduct a sleep test to examine how compromised your breathing is as you sleep, in addition to how much of a decrease we can see in your oxygen levels during this time.

Thankfully, there are several treatment methods available for snoring and sleep apnea. An initial treatment may consist of a nasal CPAP machine that delivers pressurized oxygen through a nasal mask as you sleep, allowing you to breathe easily. Surgical options may also be explored as necessary, including a uvulo-palato-pharyngo-plasty (UPPP) which is performed in the back of the soft palate and throat, or a Laser Assisted uvulo-palato-plasty (LAUP) which is a similar procedure performed with a laser. These treatments and more can help you clear that airway as you sleep, allowing you to sleep without obstruction.

Passionate About Offering Exceptional Care

Request An Appointment

At Oyster Point Oral & Facial Surgery, we believe that patients deserve the best, and we work hard to provide exactly that to every patient who comes through our doors. Simply fill out the form below and our team will contact you to schedule your appointment at our office. We look forward to meeting you!

Location

11842 Rock Landing Drive
Suite 105
Newport News, VA 23606

Hours

Monday – Thursday
8:30 am– 5 pm

Friday
8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Contact

Call Us:
757-596-1200