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At Houston Sleep Solutions, we work to eliminate misconceptions about sleep apnea. Let’s discuss three of them. 1. Sleep apnea is caused by being overweight. Being overweight is a considerable risk factor for developing sleep apnea, but there are many other possible causes, such as diabetes. Being overweight increases the risk of developing sleep apnea.…

What is going on in the throat when a person snores? The tissue in the back of the throat collapses onto the soft palate. This collapses the airway. As the person breathes, this area opens and closes. It’s amazing how loud it can be. What is going on in the throat when a person has…

It’s estimated that 50% of people snore at some point during their life. Sleep apnea is a more serious, but also common sleep disorder. Snoring and sleep apnea are related. Many men and women who snore also have sleep apnea. However, they are two distinct disorders. Why Is Sleep Apnea So Dangerous? Snoring alone doesn’t…

CPAP vs Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) Sleep apnea is primarily treated with two very different devices. A CPAP machine uses air pressure through a tube. The patient wears a mask during sleep and air is forced through the obstruction. An oral device used in OAT physically moves the lower jaw forward. This opens the airway…

Snoring can make for a bad night’s sleep, for you and your bed mate. But if it happens because you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it may be an indication of a bigger problem. Sleep apnea is the involuntary cessation of breathing while you are asleep. There is increasing evidence that untreated obstructive sleep apnea…

Sleep apnea doesn’t just reduce your quality of life. Untreated sleep apnea can actually shorten your life. In multiple ways. Chronic Diseases Untreated sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other types of heart disease. These issues, in turn, can result in a fatal stroke or heart attack. According to the Centers for Disease…

If you’ve done any research on sleep apnea, you may realize that it must be diagnosed by a medical doctor. What type of doctor diagnoses sleep apnea? As it turns out, there quite a few disciplines. This is from the American Sleep Apnea Association: Sleep specialists come from a variety of medical backgrounds. They may…

What is dental sleep medicine? It’s a relatively new branch of dentistry that treats sleep apnea and other sleep-related breathing problems. Don’t confuse dental sleep medicine with dental sedation or sleep dentistry. Dental sleep medicine treats sleep apnea. What is sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a malady where you have frequent, recurring gaps in breathing…

There is an epidemic of sleep problems in the U.S. Long-term sleep deficits put men and women at risk of significant health problems. If you have a chronic issue that keeps you from getting restorative sleep, don’t dismiss it. Two sleep disorders that are typically confused are insomnia and sleep apnea. What is insomnia? Insomnia…

Hate your CPAP machine? You’re not alone. CPAP doesn’t work for all sleep apnea patients. CPAP is supposed to make me sleep better? CPAP is designed to help patients breathe through the night. CPAP is supposed to help you sleep better, not worse. It’s disappointing that many patients sleep worse with the CPAP machine than…