Minimally-Invasive Sleep Apnea and Sinusitis Solutions are Possible with North Texas Sinus Center.
Stop Snoring From Harassing Your Family and Disrupting Your Sleep!
Snoring isn’t a harmless noise. Not only does it disrupt your sleep, but it disrupts the sleep of your partner and family, and it’s also a sign of a more serious health issue. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, sinusitis, or both, finding what’s causing this issue matters if you ever want your life to return to a happier, healthier state.
After you find out what’s causing your snoring and breathing issues, it’s time to take action to experience breathing out of your nose without congestion, blockages, or snoring.
Can we share two quick secrets with you about sleep apnea and sinusitis?
- Your medical therapy, mouthguards, and nasal strips won’t bring you long-term results.
- CPAP and sinus surgery are no longer your only long-term treatment options.
Take the first step towards relief with Dr. Gilmore and North Texas Sinus Center by learning more about your options below and by scheduling an appointment with one of the Dallas area’s leading ENT physicians today.
What’s Wrong with Snoring?
Snoring is not natural. The air pathways in your sinuses should allow you to breathe without obstruction. Snoring is often associated with an anatomy problem in your nose. As explained by sleep specialist Lynn A. D'Andrea (1), “Snoring is not an illness, but it is a symptom.” Symptoms are indications that you have an illness or disease. Two of the troubling illnesses that can lead to snoring are sleep apnea and sinusitis.
The issue you’re suffering from could be eustachian tube dysfunction.
What is Sleep Apnea?
An estimated 22 million Americans are suffering from sleep apnea (2), which is a serious disorder in which your breathing stops or is interrupted during sleep. Those who live with sleep apnea can have these instances of interrupted breathing hundreds of times in a single night.
When your body doesn’t receive enough oxygen, including your brain, your sleep is disturbed. Although you’re not aware of every time your sleep is disturbed from sleep apnea, this constant disruption wears on your body and can have a long-lasting impact on your health.
There are two forms of sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, as the name implies, occurs due to an obstruction in the airway that prevents you from breathing with ease while sleeping. This form of sleep apnea is often caused by soft tissue in the throat collapsing, causing the blockage that interrupts breathing and disrupts sleep.
Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to tell your body and send messages to your muscles to breathe. This form of sleep apnea can be a sign that another medical condition is present.
It is also possible to have a combination of both forms of sleep apnea, referred to as mixed or complex sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, you’re aware of the toll it can take on your health and the strain it puts on your life. Symptoms associated with sleep apnea include:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Fatigue
- Loud snoring
- Frequent snoring
- Insomnia
- Headaches in the morning
- Memory loss
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating on daily tasks
Obstructive sleep apnea can prevent you from living your best life. It can and should be treated. Read below to learn more about your condition, and about a possible solution -- balloon sinuplasty from North Texas Sinus Center.
What is Sinusitis?
Over 30 million Americans (12.5%) have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis (3). Sinusitis is when the tissues surrounding the sinuses are inflamed or swollen. While normal sinuses are open, allowing air to travel throughout your face, blockages cause a buildup of fluid and germs that lead to infection, including a sinus infection - sinusitis.
A sinus infection can be caused by several issues, and appear in several different forms. Types of sinusitis include:
Acute Sinusitis
A single sinus infection is called acute sinusitis. It typically lasts from a week to three weeks, and then it resolves.
Recurrent Acute Sinusitis
If one sinus infection turns into two, then three, then four or more in a year, you have recurrent acute sinusitis. While medication can provide temporary relief, it is not solving the problem causing sinus infections to return.
Chronic Sinusitis
When a single sinus infection just doesn’t go away, lasting more than 12 weeks, you have chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis requires a more permanent solution to resolve than antibiotics and nasal sprays.
Allergic Sinusitis
Allergic sinusitis is a sinus infection caused by allergens. A form of long-term treatment for allergic sinusitis is immunotherapy.
Pansinusitis
You have four paranasal sinuses. Sinusitis occurs when one or several of your paranasal sinuses are inflamed or swollen. When ALL of your paranasal sinuses are obstructed, you have pansinusitis.
Sinus Infection Symptoms
Sinus infections impact the millions of people, who each suffer from them differently. Common sinus infection symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Facial pain and sinus pressure
- Nasal congestion
- Loss of your sense of smell
- Fever
- Bad breath
An Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor can analyze your symptoms, locate the source of the problem, and diagnose your issue or issues.
The Link Between Sinusitis and Sleep Apnea
Why Both Sinusitis and Sleep Apnea are Destroying Your Sleep and Interrupting Your Happiness
Sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea are both caused by obstructions in your airways. Those who suffer from sinusitis are also at risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. According to research (4), the risk slightly increases for an individual with sleep apnea to also have sinusitis.
Both issues, due to their ability to block your air pathways, complicate breathing while sleeping. This results in snoring and waking up at night, which can leave you and your partner tired and drained of energy. If that’s not how you want to live your life and sinus surgery scares you, we would like to offer an alternative.
References & Resources
- Why do people snore? (Scientific American)
- Sleep Apnea Information for Clinicians (American Sleep Apnea Association)
- Chronic Sinusitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- What Is the Connection Between Sinusitis and Sleep Apnea? (cpap.com)
