Obstructive Sleep Apnea Services in Chicago & Northwest Indiana

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

• Daytime drowsiness
• Snoring with pauses (apnea) in breathing
• Gasping or choking during sleep
• Restless sleep with frequent trips to the bathroom
• Memory loss, mental fog, or problems with mental function
• Difficulty staying asleep, insomnia
• Lack of focus, anger, or poor judgment
• High blood pressure or chest pain at night
• Depression
• Morning headaches
• Impotence or reduced libido

Having 2 or more of these symptoms, or if you have been told that you stop breathing during the night or wake up choking, then see your healthcare provider.

Causes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

• Because of oxygen levels dropping during OSA, there is a strain on the cardiovascular system, leading to:
  • High blood pressure (HTN)
  • Heart disease
  • Irregular heart rhythms
  • Stroke
  • Type II diabetes and Metabolic syndrome (HTN, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and increased waistline)
• Because of the lack of restorative sleep due to repeatedly waking up during sleep leads to:
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Thinking and memory problems
  • Altered job or school performance
    • Falling asleep at work or school
  • Marital and social problems, impotence
  • Depression 
  • Increase risk for accidents and injuries
    • People with OSA have an increased risk of car and workplace accidents
• Complications with surgery and certain medicines
  • Anesthesia complications during surgery- more than likely, you will be screened for OSA preoperatively. Your doctor will determine:
    • Type of anesthesia used
    • How long will you be monitored after surgery
    • Special instructions regarding pain medication
    • Opioids can suppress respiration

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

You can be diagnosed with OSA by answering questions about symptoms and your sleep history. A sleep study will be ordered for a definitive diagnosis. A sleep study, usually done at a sleep center, involves sleeping overnight while wearing electrodes on your head that will monitor your brain activity. Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and oxygen levels will also be monitored.

Treatments of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Once you have been diagnosed with OSA, you will be given recommendations for treatment based on the severity of your symptoms. 

Non-surgical Options for Sleep Apnea Treatment

• Weight management and lifestyle changes are always recommended
• Change sleep position-back sleeping causes more pressure on your airway.
• Oral appliances types that are worn at night to keep your airway open
  • Mandibular Advancement Splints (MADs)
    • Most common type
    • Pulls your lower jaw and tongue forward, creating more space in the back of your throat
  • Tongue Stabilizing Devices (TSDs)
    • Pulls your tongue forward with a suction bulb.
    • Available over the counter
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine
  • The most common Positive airway pressure (PAP) treatments
  • Device delivers continuous air through the mouth/nose, so your airway stays open while you sleep.
  • A CPAP consists of a mask that fits over your nose and mouth. Straps will secure the mask in place. A tube connects the mask to the motor. This motor will blow filtered air continuously into the mask. There are different types of PAPs.
    • Auto CPAP-uses a range of air pressures
    • Bi-level PAP (BiPAP)-uses higher pressure for inhalation and lower pressure during exhalation.
    • Auto-bilevel PAP-pressures are self-regulated.
    • Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV)-only used with certain types of OSA. It monitors your beathing and adjusts pressures accordingly.

Surgical Options for Sleep Apnea Treatment

If non-surgical treatments have not been effective, surgical options may be recommended. Let’s go over the different types of sleep apnea surgeries.

• UPPP-Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is a surgery that remove and reshapes the tissues in your throat. These structures are:
  • Soft palate-this is the soft tissue in the back of the upper mouth behind the hard palate
  • Uvula-the small, tear drop shaped tissue in the back of the throat. It hangs from the soft palate.
  • Tonsils-located on each side of the back of the throat.

Your surgeon will consider all 3 of these structures, when deciding if you are a candidate for UPPP. Tonsil size, position of the soft palate and how close it is to the tongue will be determining factors. Your BMI will also be a consideration. Tonsils and adenoids may have to be removed if they are enlarged and appear to be contributing to the lack of space in the back of the throat.

• MMA-Maxillomandibular Advancement is a major surgery, where both the upper and lower jaws are moved forward and fixed in their new position. The throat muscles may also be repositioned to enlarge the space in the throat. Due to bone healing time, recovery from MMA will take longer, but this surgery has been found to be very effective with a high success rate. You may notice a change in your facial features because of the jaw being in a new position.

Follow up sleep studies will always be performed to measure success. Our surgeons will collaborate with your sleep specialists every step of the way.