Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Unfortunately, most of us have experienced snoring and sleep apnea in some manner. Snoring affects up to 45 million American adults every year – often affecting spouses and loved ones just as much as the snorer. Snoring can run the gamut of mild to room- shakingly loud, keeping the whole house awake. Sleep apnea is an even more serious condition affecting 9% of women and 24% of men aged 30-60 years.

What causes snoring and sleep apnea?

Snoring and sleep apnea both occur due to a narrowing of airflow anywhere from the tip of the nose, sinuses, and back of the throat. In snoring, this narrowing causes abnormal airflow and vibration of the soft tissue resulting in each individual’s specific snoring sound. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial obstruction during sleep. The symptoms can vary based on time of the year, time of the day and our body position. Often people assume that if you don’t snore you can’t have sleep apnea – this is not true.

What are the symptoms of snoring and sleep apnea?

Loud snoring
Lack of energy
Daytime fatigue
Morning headache
Suddenly waking and gasping for breath
Difficulty with memory or concentration
Frequently going to the bathroom at night

How do we diagnose snoring and sleep apnea?

With just a brief discussion, sleep apnea can be suspected but the diagnosis is confirmed with a sleep study. Often patients already have a diagnosis of sleep apnea when they come to us, but are unsatisfied with the solutions previously offered elsewhere.

The importance of Nasal Breathing

Regardless of whether you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, if you have difficulty breathing through your nose, it could lead to serious problems. Our ability to breathe well through our nose has significant effects on our body, including:

Filters and warms the air we breathe
Improves sleep quality
Lowers blood pressure
Decreases anxiety
Improves neck posture, preventing chronic neck and back pain
Prevents bad breath

Some may incorrectly assume that the mouth is just as capable a means to breathe, but it really isn’t. Humans were fundamentally designed to breathe through the nose and when this doesn’t happen significant imbalances occur.

What treatments are available for snoring and sleep apnea at Resolve ENT?

Before any treatment plan is recommended, we identify the source or sources of obstruction. This is done with a brief, painless nasal endoscopy in the office. The most common culprits are enlarged/swollen structures in the nose called turbinates, a deviated septum (divides the left and right side of the nose), weakened sidewalls of the nose, enlarged adenoids and tonsils.

With the trouble area(s) identified we recommend minimally invasive, permanent solutions that avoid lifelong reliance on medications and devices. These treatments include:

How much does treatment for snoring and sleep apnea cost?

The cost of your snoring and sleep apnea treatment will vary depending on the individualized treatment plan recommended for you and your current health insurance coverage. To get a more accurate assessment of how much your snoring and sleep apnea treatment will cost, we encourage you to come in for a private consultation with Dr. Elangovan. At Resolve ENT, we are also happy to offer financing that helps you more easily pay for your treatments at your convenience.

Led by Dr. Siva Elangovan, the medical professionals at Resolve ENT are proud to offer high-quality, comprehensive care to patients located in Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Park, Uptown, Lincoln Square and the surrounding communities such as Evanston, Oak Park, and Des Plaines of Chicago, Illinois. Contact us to schedule your private consultation with our expert medical team and start your journey with us today.