Is your snoring the target of family jokes? The truth is that snoring is no laughing matter in many cases. It may keep your partner awake, or be the sign of a serious disorder. Excessive snoring may indicate obstructive sleep apnea -- a condition that occurs when the airway in the back of the throat collapses partially or fully during sleep.

Sleep Disruption and More
People with this type of sleep apnea stop breathing many times during the night. These pauses in breathing can last more than 10 seconds until patients choke or snort themselves awake.

"Patients often don't realize they're sleeping poorly," says Thomas Troost, MD, Ph.D., otolaryngologist. In some cases, doctors may refer patients for overnight sleep studies to diagnose sleep apnea.

"People with sleep apnea typically feel extreme fatigue during the day and are more likely to be involved in car accidents. Sleep apnea also can strain the heart and raise the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure," Dr. Troost says.

Elliott Alpher, DDS

For some patients, losing weight, exercising regularly and avoiding alcohol and late night heavy meals can improve their sleep. For others, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines can help. Patients wear a breathing apparatus while they sleep to increase air pressure in their throats and prevent their airways from collapsing.

Help from the Dentist
When lifestyle changes aren't enough, many patients turn to their dentist for help.

"There are portable and adjustable oral airway devices that prevent the tongue from blocking the airway at night," says Elliott Alpher, DDS, Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery. "These mouth guards can be a simple solution to a very big problem, especially in patients who have mild or moderate sleep apnea."

Thomas Troost, MD, PhD Otolaryngologist

Surgical Solutions
Minor surgical procedures may be the answer for patients who don't sleep better with noninvasive treatments or who have medical problems that contribute to their sleep apnea. Depending on the cause of the symptoms, surgeons may recommend one of the following to improve airflow:

• Remove large tonsils
• Remove polyps
• Repair deviated septums or other anatomical problems
• Widen the nostrils
• Reduce the size of the back of the tongue
• Remove excess tissue in the back of the throat

Sleep Tight
To get help for obstructive sleep apnea, please call Direct Doctors^SM Plus at 1-888-4GW-DOCS.

900 23rd St., NW, Washington, DC 20037 (202) 715-4000