Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 1 in 5 adults. It occurs when the base of the tongue collapses down on the throat, preventing an adequate amount of air to pass down to the lungs. This results in snoring. However, there is more to it than just snoring. As OSA inhibits the ability of air to go down your airway, it lowers the level of oxygen in your bloodstream. Sometimes patients completely stop breathing for periods of up to a minute. The body will often compensate for this by raising the pulse rate and blood pressure, in an attempt to raise the levels of oxygen in the bloodstream. All of this leads to incomplete sleep patterns which furthermore leads to fatigue, high blood pressure, insomnia, and a host of other medical conditions.
Patients with moderate levels of OSA can be treated with an oral appliances as less invasive alternative to a CPAP machine. The oral appliance positions the lower jaw forward preventing the airway from closing.
Our practice has been successfully treating sleep apnea since 2013. Dr. Moon has the ability to administer a home sleep test patients can take with them from our office. Dr. Moon will then read the results and discuss if you are a candidate for an oral appliance.
Please call 309-444-3207 for a complimentary consultation.