Snoring & Sleep Apnea Clinic

Is Snoring Bothering You?
One in three families suffer from loud sleepers, which can seriously influence their everyday lives. If left untreated, snoring can cause significant health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, headaches and daytime fatigue, leading to negative impacts on the quality of life.

When Should you be Worried?
You should consider seeing a doctor if you experience the following:
• Daytime sleepiness
• Choking/pauses in breathing during sleep
• Loud and irregular snoring
• Severe morning headaches
• Excessive night sweats

Snoring Assessment at AZHD
We undertake some or all of the following investigations where diagnosing your snoring problems:
• General snoring assessment
• Mapping your upper airway by the flexible pencil-sized camera
• Sleep study – either home or in the hospital

After reviewing the test results we will be able to give you a personalized management plan.

Do not forget if the snoring is left untreated, it can cause significant health issues leading to life and job impairment!

Sleep Apnea
“Apnea” means “without breath”, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea happens when something partly or completely blocks your upper airway during sleep. That makes your diaphragm and chest muscles work harder to open the obstructed airway and pull air into the lungs.
Most of us during sleep experience an occasional period without breath, however if it is more than 15 episodes per hour, it is considered excess and requires immediate medical attention.

How do I know if I have sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea Signs: Snoring, Gasping, Sleepiness
The three main warning signs of obstructive sleep apnea are:
• Loud, persistent snoring
• Pauses in breathing, accompanied with gasping episodes when sleeping
• Excessive sleepiness during waking hours

Surgical Treatment for Sleep Apnea
In most cases, the blocked or narrowed airway causes a massive soft tissue vibration which generates noise. The goal of the surgery is to identify the narrowest point and create smooth airflow to avoid turbulence.
Most Common Causes of Sleep Apnea
Some of the most common causes of sleep apnea include:
• Small or collapsing nostrils
• Deviated nasal septum
• Enlarged nasal turbinate and/or nasal polyps
• Large soft palate or uvula
• Obstruction at the back of the tongue
• Abnormality around the voice box

The location of the obstruction could be identified during your consultation with our doctors.
In most cases the obstruction is multifactorial, therefore surgical assessment will only be successful if it is followed by changing the lifestyle.