Sleep Apnea

There are two major types of sleep apnea.  The first type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep.

The second type of sleep apnea is Central Sleep Apnea(CSA) . In this case the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Finally, Mixed Sleep Apnea(MSA), as the name implies, is a combination of the two.

With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality. Sleep apnea is as common as adult diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health, sleep apnea affects twelve million Americans.

The major risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty. However, sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Due to the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause hypertension and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated.

We work in conjunction with physicians from the Sleep Center at the North Shore University HealthSystems. The Sleep Center is directed by sleep specialists certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. Under the direction of the physicians, we fabricate various intraoral appliances that are designed to control the sleep apnea.