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Babak Larian, M.D.
8670 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Toll Free: (310) 310-0361
Fax: (310) 657-2019
Sleep apnea is a condition marked by intermittent pauses in breathing during sleep, which robs the body of needed oxygen and causes such symptoms as loud snoring, drowsiness during the day, fatigue, poor concentration and headaches. There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to properly signal the body to breathe during sleep is fortunately rare. Obstructive sleep apnea is the much more common variety and is caused by narrowed airways due to relaxation of the muscles in the throat and enlargement of tongue, palate or tonsils.
Sleep apnea is a very insidious problem, in that it is usually present for years before the person becomes aware of it. And the reason is that the symptoms can be attributed to other things such working hard, not sleeping enough, etc. But sleep apnea is not to be taken lightly. When breathing is obstructed not only does the oxygen level in the blood and all organs drop thus causing chronic long term damage, but also brain has to come out of deep sleep to move the obstructing throat tissue to bring the oxygen back up. The person does not actually wake up, but rather the brain does not really get the rest it needs. Severe sleep apnea can be life threatening. Diagnosis is made by a sleep study, which will asses the degree of apnea.
The first choice treatment for sleep apnea is exercise and weight loss when possible. CPAP is an alternative method that works by using a machine that pumps a very small amount of air into the throat to prevent the tissue from falling onto each and obstructing. It is very effective in treating sleep apnea and is highly recommended. Dental appliance or gaurds can be especially made to thrust the jaw forward and creat more room in the throat. A special type of surgery to reduce snoring and correct sleep apnea, known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP, involves the removal of excess tissues in the throat, sometimes including the tonsils and adenoids. This makes it more difficult for the throat to close up during sleep and block the airway. In the past this was done with lasers that create large raw spots that were very painful, but now the surgery involves using a special instrument that uses radiofrequencies to shrink the tissue under the surface, thus creating more room. Recovery from this procedure is very simple.
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