Do you think about your ENT doctor when it comes to sleep apnea treatment? You really should! Sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway narrows or collapses for more than 10 seconds at a time. When individuals with sleep apnea go to rest, they stop breathing literally when the condition triggers.
Because of the frequent pauses in breathing, less oxygen reaches the bloodstream. This implies the heart will have to put more effort to get oxygen to the cells. Furthermore, it disrupts the sleeping pattern, causing a person with sleep apnea to wake up weary rather than refreshed.
Even while the apnea episode may only last 10 seconds, it can occur up to 300 times in a single night. It's no surprise that those who struggle with sleep apnea are weary and at a higher risk of heart attack and accidents.
Sleep Apnea can be addressed and cured in a variety of ways by ENT doctors in Mount Elizabeth.
The majority of ENTs begin by restoring normal breathing throughout the day and night. To better view your airways, the ear nose throat specialist will examine you and may prescribe imaging procedures. Your sinuses and nasal passageways, including the turbinates and septum, will be inspected to ensure that they are not obstructed.
If your tonsils or adenoids are still present, the doctor will inspect them to ensure that they are not impeding your breath. Your ENT will check the uvula and soft palate to see if they obstruct the food flow.
If any of these structures is causing the blockage, the ENT will extract it and allow you to breathe freely again. This would not only aid you in sleeping better at night, but it will also help you breathe more efficiently during the day.
Surgical Sleep Apnea Treatments
Your ENT can conduct a septoplasty to realign the septum, which is the portion of bone and cartilage between the nostrils, and rectifies your breathing patterns if they are not straight.
If you have swollen turbinates, the ENT can shrink them using radiofrequency energy to burn off tissue.
- Your ENT can use functional endoscopic sinus operations to remove polyps in the nose or sinuses. These grape-like forms create breathing difficulties at all hours of the day and night.
- Radiofrequency energy is also used in somnoplasty to decrease tissue in the uvula or soft palate.
- If sinus blockage is the source of mild sleep apnea, balloon sinuplasty can help.
- For easier breathing, your ENT can remove the tonsils and adenoids.
If you have sleep apnea, you should see an ENT.
Consult your ENT doctor in Singapore if you are experiencing trouble with breathing when you sleep or see symptoms of sleep apnea. The ENT can figure out the origin of the apnea-causing airway obstruction and help you breathe more easily during the day and night.
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