About Sleep Apnea

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea and snoring are more serious than you may think

Snoring is more than a disruption - it is the most common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes a person to stop breathing while they sleep. Sleep apnea can be very serious. It causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which can result in your tongue falling back and blocking your airway, reducing the oxygen delivered to all organs, including your heart and brain.

Do you have sleep apnea?

People with sleep apnea may snore loudly and stop breathing for short periods of time, causing their body to briefly wake without them even realizing it. This can happen hundreds of times per night, and they may wake up feeling unrested and tired throughout the day.

ABOUT OUR APPROACH

The way we tackle sleep apnea is a bit different from traditional CPAP treatment.
Dr. Augustine can help you get your sleep disorder under control with a custom oral appliance
that is both comfortable and affordable.

Getting started with your appliance is simple and it doesn't involve sleeping in a lab overnight. Your sleep test can be conducted in the comfort and privacy of your own home. We work with a physician to come up with a course of action for treatment and offer affordable payment options through your medical insurance. Your appliance will be tailored to your needs
in order to provide maximum comfort.

WHAT THE SLEEP TEST MEASURES

When it comes to decoding your sleep, there are two things we look out for: apneas and hypopneas. "Hypopnea” is the term for a partial blockage of the airway lasting for at least 10 seconds, but an “apnea” signifies an episode of total breath loss. The severity of a sleep disorder depends on how many times these events occur throughout the night. The AHI, or apnea-hypopnea index, is the classification system that measures the intensity of your sleep apnea. Here’s what the numbers mean:

Fewer than 5 events per hour → Normal sleep
5 to 14 events per hour → Mild sleep apnea
15 to 29 events per hour → Moderate sleep apnea
30 or more events per hour → Severe sleep apnea

HOW WE CAN HELP

If you have concerns about the state of your sleep and how it is affecting your daily life, don't wait. Give us a call so we can set you up with a complimentary screening. Together we’ll assess your symptoms and come up with a game plan so you can rest easy
and wake up rejuvenated once again.