Burke, Fairfax and Fairfax Station, VA
Does your bed partner complain about long, sleepless nights due to your loud snoring? This issue is much more than just a nuisance your bed partner must endure. It may actually be placing you at an increased risk of developing serious health issues in the future.
Often, snoring is an indicator that you suffer from sleep apnea. It’s one of the more common symptoms of sleep apnea. This dangerous condition occurs when your airway becomes blocked while you’re sleeping, preventing you from getting the proper levels of oxygen. In order to resume normal breathing, your brain must rouse you from sleep. This pattern can occur hundreds of times a night without you even being aware that it is happening. Sleep apnea is more common’] than you might think. Perhaps 80% of sleep apnea sufferers don’t know they have the condition.
Why Snoring Is Serious
In the short term, snoring can cause you to experience daytime fatigue due to a lack of a proper night’s rest. However, there are many more serious conditions that may develop as a result of sleep apnea.
If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- Depression
- High blood pressure
Fortunately, Dr. Marzban offers a variety of sleep apnea treatment options to help you eliminate your chronic snoring so that you and your bed partner can both sleep peacefully through the night. The first step in your treatment is to undergo a sleep apnea diagnostic exam. Dr. Marzban uses the WatchPAT™ device in order to achieve a comprehensive diagnosis in the comfort of your own bedroom, eliminating the need to spend the night at a sleep center.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
Your recommended sleep apnea treatment plan will vary based on the severity of your condition. For mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea, Dr. Marzban may recommend oral appliance therapy. During this treatment, you will wear a custom-made device while you sleep to ensure your airway remains open.
The oral appliance works by:
- Repositioning your tongue, lower jaw and soft palate
- Stabilizing the jaw and tongue
- Providing support to prevent your airway from collapsing while you sleep
- Reshaping and retraining the airway with myofunctional therapy
Usually, sleep apnea is just a treatable condition. It is very hard to cure. However, it is sometimes possible to actually cure sleep apnea with myofunctional therapy. Once you manage to develop your airway and condition your muscles, you might be free of sleep apnea. Often this requires support from lifestyle changes, but as long as you keep up your recommended routine, you might be free of sleep apnea.
For more severe cases of sleep apnea, Dr. Marzban may recommend treatment with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). CPAP treatment involves the use of a machine that delivers a consistent flow of air pressure into your airway while you sleep.
If you suffer from chronic snoring, please contact Dr. Pamela Marzban using the form on this page or call 703-323-8200 today to schedule your sleep apnea diagnostic exam. We serve patients in Burke, Fairfax, Fairfax Station and throughout Northern Virginia.
