Few feelings are more disconcerting than not being able to catch your breath and get the oxygen you need. There are dozens of reasons why this can occur, from sprinting to catch the bus to more serious breathing issues.
If you’re experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness or chronic snoring, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. This condition can have serious effects on your overall health and well-being.
Dr. Cecil Yeung is dedicated to treating patients suffering from sleep apnea, starting with an accurate identification of the root cause of the problem in order to deliver effective long-term relief.
In this blog, Houston Otolaryngologist, Dr. Yeung will explain how sleep apnea is treated.
This serious disorder is characterized by repeated pauses in your breathing as you sleep. Each pause in breathing – which is called an apnea – can occur 30 or more times an hour. This causes a significant disruption to your natural sleep rhythm and can cause you to repeatedly move out of a deep sleep and into lighter sleep.
Due to the constant interruption in breathing, people who have this disorder spend more time in light sleep and less in the deeper, restorative sleep that’s needed in order to feel well-rested. In addition to causing possible dangers with driving and in the workplace, this poor sleep quality can have a serious negative effect on your overall health. If left untreated, the condition can lead to a number of chronic health problems and other risks, including high blood pressure and depression.
Symptoms include:
In some cases, symptoms can be improved with simple lifestyle changes that include:
Non-invasive treatments may also be prescribed, and they include:
In more severe cases that don’t respond well to lifestyle changes and non-invasive treatments, surgery may be the best option. Depending on the exact issue that’s causing your sleep apnea, surgery may involve removing the tonsils, adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose.
Many of these procedures can be performed using new technology and surgical techniques that reduce downtime and start quickly providing relief. These include functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which removes tissue that prevents the normal drainage of mucus through the sinuses, opening up the passages for easier breathing.
Dr. Yeung is an ear, nose, and throat specialist with more than 20 years of experience and an excellent reputation for the highest level of professionalism and expertise.
In fact, Dr. Yeung pioneered functional endoscopic sinus surgery in Houston and has performed more than 4,000 surgeries with exceptional results. He’s known for his meticulous surgical techniques and technical precision and is well respected among his peers.
If you have sleep apnea, contact the Yeung Institute today. Dr. Yeung will conduct a thorough examination and talk with you about your medical history in order to devise an effective, long-lasting treatment plan.
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