Sleep Apnea Specialist

Sleep Apnea Specialistin Porterville, CA

If your partner constantly complains about your loud snoring or worries about your pauses in breathing as you sleep, you may need treatment for a condition known as sleep apnea. At Richard Hardt, D.D.S. in Porterville, California, Dr. Richard Hardt, DDS, and Dr. Lawryn Monterroso, DDS, help alleviate your snoring and other sleep apnea symptoms, including a referral for an in-home sleep study. To learn more about available treatment options for sleep apnea, call or use online booking to schedule a consultation today.

Sleep Apnea Q & A

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes your breathing to stop and start throughout the night. There are three main types of sleep apnea, including:

Obstructive sleep apnea: results when your throat muscles relax during sleep
Central sleep apnea: caused by dysfunction in your brain signals that control breathing
Complex sleep apnea: a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea

Dr. Hardt or Dr. Monterroso determine the cause of your sleep apnea symptoms with a comprehensive evaluation.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

Loud snoring
Frequently waking up
Shortness of breath
Morning headaches
Insomnia

Due to your lack of restful sleep, you may also suffer from frequent tiredness in the daytime, difficulties paying attention, and feelings of irritability. Oftentimes, those who have sleep apnea are unaware of their snoring or the interruption of breathing until their partner makes them aware of the issues. When snoring and pauses of breath affect your own health and interrupt your partner’s ability to sleep, you should seek help from Dr. Hardt and Dr. Monterroso to confirm a sleep apnea diagnosis.

How is sleep apnea treated?

To determine the best course of treatment for your sleep apnea, Dr. Hardt or Dr. Monterroso may help organize an at-home sleep study to treat your symptoms.

If you have a mild case of sleep apnea, you might need to make certain lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. Oral appliances can also be effective in keeping your throat open to prevent breathing stoppages as you sleep. These appliances move your jaw forward so you breathe easier and stop snoring.

For severe sleep apnea, which can be life-threatening, you may need a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that provides you with oxygen through a mask. You wear the mask while you sleep to keep your airways open and your breathing constant.

Surgery may be necessary in some cases to remove excess tissue at the back of your throat or reposition your jaw to clear obstructions in your airway.

Don’t delay treatment for sleep apnea. Schedule a consultation with Richard Hardt, D.D.S. in Porterville, California, by calling the office or using online booking today.

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Porterville, CA 93257

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Sleep Apnea Specialist