Help with Sleep Apnea Disorder & Sleep Apnea Treatment

Ever wake up feeling tired, or feel sleepy all day? Do you snore, or does someone tell you that you snore? Ever wonder if you suffer from Sleep Apnea? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), over 90 million Americans have some form of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and over 40% of patients over the age of 40 snore almost every night. It has been estimated that over 18 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), most of which have never been diagnosed.

That means that 18 million people are walking around tired most of the day, even after they had a “great night of sleep.” Over the past 10 years, there have been many advancements in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, and I’m proud to say that my team and I have helped hundreds of patients sleep better.

Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects over 18 Million Americans every night

If you don’t have trouble sleeping, I bet you know or have worked with someone who has sleep problems - whether they have trouble falling asleep, snore, don't like their CPAP machine, or wake up in the middle of the night out of breath. These could be symptoms or complications of Sleep Apnea or another Sleep Disorder.

So what can you do? And how can we help? First thing to do is fill out a Epworth Sleep Apnea Screening Test (click here). The Epworth Sleep Apnea test was introduced by Dr. Murray Johns in 1991, and has been validated and in use in obstructive sleep apnea treatment ever since. It is a simple and accurate way to screen yourself for sleep apnea.

Do I have Sleep Apnea? Here is a quick Test

If you score a 10 or higher on the Epworth Sleep Apnea Scale, you should schedule an appointment, to discuss having a sleep test (Polysomnogram or PSG) performed in a local sleep clinic or center. Your health insurance plan will most likely cover the cost. If you don’t have health insurance, there are many sleep clinics and centers that offer low-cost sleep tests.

Once you have completed a sleep test (PSG), and one of our sleep physicians has confirmed that you have sleep apnea, we can discuss your treatment options. The most common treatment, the industry gold standard if you will, is a CPAP machine. A CPAP is a positive-pressure mask that you wear over your mouth and nose while you sleep. While very effective at treating severe sleep apnea, most patients find it a bit invasive and uncomfortable. For those patients who are looking for an alternative to CPAP, we offer sleep apnea oral appliances, sometimes called MADs (Mandibular Advancing Device) or MRD (Mandibular Repositioning Device).

Dentists offer alternatives to your CPAP machine

Example of MAD alternative to CPAP machine somnomed

Here you can see a MAD or mandibular advancing device. Simply put, it is a mouth guard made by your sleep apnea dentist that holds your bottom jaw forward while you sleep. This forward motion opens up your airway and eases your breathing, and can even eliminate snoring. For those patients who do not have severe sleep apnea, are CPAP intolerant, are looking to cure their snoring (or their bed partners'!), or just want an alternative treatment, the oral sleep apnea device is a great solution. We’ve had patients come to our office fed up with their respironics CPAP or tired of the nasal masks, throw their CPAP on our counter and, out of desperation, ask for an alternative sleep apnea mouthguard (dental).

Treat Sleep Apnea & Snoring Without a CPAP Machine

Have Sleep Apnea questions? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Tsai
Or you can always email or call us: (650)-583-5880

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Dr. Sherry Tsai provides an alternative to CPAP machines to treat Sleep Apnea and Snoring in Millbrae, San Bruno, Burlingame, San Mateo and the Bay Area