Snoring used be thought of as a nuisance but is now considered a symptom of a legitimate medical problem called sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder.

 

Every night, sleep apnea causes more than 18 million Americans to stop breathing periodically during their sleep. Sleep apnea “episodes” can cause you to involuntarily stop breathing for 10 to 60 seconds up to 100 times an hour or more while sleeping. Yet despite the presence of clear signs and symptoms — and despite seeing family physicians — some 80% to 90% of those with the disorder remain undiagnosed for an average of seven years.

 

The good news is Superior Sleep Center in Houston, TX offers state-of-the-art testing and treatment for sleep apnea. Dr. Kristi Posey, our sleep specialist, is Board-certified in Psychiatry, Neurology & Sleep Medicine, so you know you’re getting expert, highly skilled care you can trust. She can accurately determine whether or not your snoring is caused by sleep apnea through interpretation of an advanced polysomnographic test.

 

This test is conducted by Samuel Sims, our registered polysomnographic technologist, while you sleep in one of our hotel-quality sleep study rooms. These rooms offer the ultimate in comfort, including a full-size bed, private shower, climate control and satellite television.

Sleep apnea can cause you fatigue, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring and memory problems. If you’re suffering from chronic pain, sleep apnea can make that pain more acute. Controlling sleep apnea, however, has caused a dramatic improvement in some chronic pain patients, with complete elimination of pain sometimes reported.

 

What’s more, sleep apnea is a debilitating breathing disorder that has far-reaching effects on health. For example, it has been linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and heart failure. In fact, about one-half of patients who have high blood pressure also have sleep apnea.

 

A major risk factor for sleep apnea is obesity, as 70% of people in the US with apnea are obese. Excess body weight can affect your breathing in numerous ways. Excess fat on the sides of the upper airway passage causes it to narrow and become at risk for closure while sleeping — a risk that is particularly high in people who have a large neck circumference and are overweight.

If your sleep study results indicate that you have sleep apnea, Dr. Posey will consult with your physician about prescribing the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to treat you. When your sleep apnea is treated, you will experience numerous benefits.

 

For starters, treating sleep apnea with a CPAP device can significantly lower daytime and nighttime blood pressure levels. In addition, eliminating snoring and occurrences of sleep apnea episodes will dramatically improve your quality of sleep and eliminate excessive daytime sleepiness. This means you will be more alert during the day, allowing you to perform better at work, school or other activities. Finally, increased alertness reduces the likelihood that you will be involved in a work- or auto-related injury.

 

Let us help you get a superior night’s sleep. Visit our Patient Education Library to learn more about Sleep Apnea treatment in Houston or call Superior Sleep Center today at (713) 623-6762.

Snoring used be thought of as a nuisance but is now considered a symptom of a legitimate medical problem called sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder.

 

Every night, sleep apnea causes more than 18 million Americans to stop breathing periodically during their sleep. Sleep apnea “episodes” can cause you to involuntarily stop breathing for 10 to 60 seconds up to 100 times an hour or more while sleeping. Yet despite the presence of clear signs and symptoms — and despite seeing family physicians — some 80% to 90% of those with the disorder remain undiagnosed for an average of seven years.

 

The good news is Superior Sleep Center in Houston, TX offers state-of-the-art testing and treatment for sleep apnea. Dr. Kristi Posey, our sleep specialist, is Board-certified in Psychiatry, Neurology & Sleep Medicine, so you know you’re getting expert, highly skilled care you can trust. She can accurately determine whether or not your snoring is caused by sleep apnea through interpretation of an advanced polysomnographic test.

 

This test is conducted by Samuel Sims, our registered polysomnographic technologist, while you sleep in one of our hotel-quality sleep study rooms. These rooms offer the ultimate in comfort, including a full-size bed, private shower, climate control and satellite television.

Sleep apnea can cause you fatigue, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring and memory problems. If you’re suffering from chronic pain, sleep apnea can make that pain more acute. Controlling sleep apnea, however, has caused a dramatic improvement in some chronic pain patients, with complete elimination of pain sometimes reported.

 

What’s more, sleep apnea is a debilitating breathing disorder that has far-reaching effects on health. For example, it has been linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and heart failure. In fact, about one-half of patients who have high blood pressure also have sleep apnea.

 

A major risk factor for sleep apnea is obesity, as 70% of people in the US with apnea are obese. Excess body weight can affect your breathing in numerous ways. Excess fat on the sides of the upper airway passage causes it to narrow and become at risk for closure while sleeping — a risk that is particularly high in people who have a large neck circumference and are overweight.

If your sleep study results indicate that you have sleep apnea, Dr. Posey will consult with your physician about prescribing the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to treat you. When your sleep apnea is treated, you will experience numerous benefits.

 

For starters, treating sleep apnea with a CPAP device can significantly lower daytime and nighttime blood pressure levels. In addition, eliminating snoring and occurrences of sleep apnea episodes will dramatically improve your quality of sleep and eliminate excessive daytime sleepiness. This means you will be more alert during the day, allowing you to perform better at work, school or other activities. Finally, increased alertness reduces the likelihood that you will be involved in a work- or auto-related injury.

 

Let us help you get a superior night’s sleep. Visit our Patient Education Library to learn more about Sleep Apnea treatment in Houston or call Superior Sleep Center today at (713) 623-6762.