I worked for some sleep doctors for a while. They put a LOT of people on CPAP. To me it seems untenable over the long term but a lot of folks think it’s great. Awfully expensive. You have to keep going in for tests and such. Did you try weight loss?
Sometimes I wish I could stop snoring but eh. I’m not that desperate. If I snore, it’ll keep people away.
Snoring is indeed a hallmark of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, but all snorers do not have OSA. A sleep study should be done to determine if OSA is an issue. Some studies have shown the higher mortality of Sleep Apnea, in fact one showed that 50% of patients who had “moderate” sleep apnea, 15-30 episodes an hour, died within 8 years if it was untreated. For reference, 0-5 episodes are considered normal, 15-30 episodes are moderate OSA, and over 30/hr are considered severe.
This condition is serious and should be treated. Treatments can include weight loss, avoidance of alcohol near bedtime, positional changes while sleeping, but most should use a more aggressive treatment. CPAP, BiPap or AutoPap are the most common modalities used. There are surgical procedures performed by ENT surgeons, uvulo-palatopharyngoplasty with or without tonsillectomy) and a more innovative procedure to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve while sleeping (Inspire procedure) which uses a pacemaker type implant generally under the right collar-bone with the implantation of “a wire” to provide nerve stimulation.
In more mild cases, a dentist trained in sleep apnea treatments can fashion an oral mandible advancement device that is worn while sleeping. Follow-up study should be done while wearing this device to assure that it is reducing the episodes of apnea and the resulting decrease in blood oxygen levels caused by the apnea episodes.
Successful treatment is life improving and potentially life-saving.
Search for the Epworth sleepiness scale (www.Nasemso.org) to assess your risk and if this indicates you are in moderate or high risk, talk to your Internal Medicine Physician or a Sleep Medicine specialist.
Simple snoring without sleep apnea can be treated by a dentist or oral surgeon with a oral device used while sleeping, or a more simple palatal surgical procedure.
This may be a long, more-than-you-wanted-to-know response, but I hope it helps someone here !!
Keep going for tests??
1 visit a year... not sure what “tests and such” you think folks need to go back for.
Once you are set up, unless something comes up, its an annual check in.