Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea in Portsmouth, NH
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by breathing that is repeatedly interrupted during sleep. It is considered a serious medical condition that affects more than 18 million Americans, and many of them do not even know they have it. While asleep, people with OSA may stop breathing— sometimes for more than a minute and as often as 60 times a night. Since you are not getting the sleep you need, OSA can increase your risk of car crashes and on-the-job accidents. Not getting enough sleep has also been linked to memory loss or depression.
We routinely screen all our patients for signs of OSA and refer appropriately to physicians for definitive diagnosis after a sleep study is conducted. Several treatments exist for obstructive sleep apnea, the most common of which is Positive Airway Pressure or PAP therapy (CPAP or BiPAP) which utilizes a PAP device to keep the airway open.
Alternative treatments include surgery and oral appliance therapy. If the CPAP machine or surgery is not right for you, we can help by custom fabricating an oral device for you that is designed to keep your throat open while you sleep.
