How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Daily Life and What You Can Do About It

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Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat
How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Daily Life and
What You Can Do About It
info_at_coastalhearing.com [phone] www.coasta
learnoseandthroat.com
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About Snoring and Sleep Apnea
At Coastal ENT, we provide comprehensive sleep
services starting from diagnosis, to both
medical and surgical treatment. We are performing
the latest procedures on those who fail CPAP
medical therapy, championed by Dr. Kenneth
Newkirk.
Sleep Study Diagnostic Polysomnography
CPAP Therapy Gold Standard
Airway Surgery Uvulupalatopharyngoplasty (UPP)
Inspire Implant Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator
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About Snoring
Snoring is the sound created by vibrations of the
soft palate when breathing is partially
obstructed during sleep. Snoring is often a sign
that the airway is partially blocked, usually by
soft tissue in the throat. The flow of air causes
the soft tissue to vibrate, which generates
noise from the mouth or nose. While snoring is a
common and usually harmless condition, it may
sometimes indicate a serious health problem. Loud
and habitual snoring can disrupt sleep and be
irritating. Snoring is more common in men than
women and occurs more often in older people and
those who are overweight. Snoring that disrupts
sleep may cause excessive daytime sleepiness and
difficulty concentrating. Heavy snorers,
especially those that experience gasping or
choking, may suffer from sleep apnea, a
condition where snoring is frequently interrupted
by periods of completely obstructed breathing.
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About Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that
involves repeated breathing interruptions during
sleep. These interruptions may occur hundreds of
times each night, and may be the result of
structural abnormalities or brain malfunctions.
During normal breathing, air passes through the
nose, past the flexible structures in the back of
the throat, including the soft palate, uvula and
tongue. When a person is awake, the muscles hold
this airway open. When they are asleep, these
muscles relax and the airway usually stays open.
Sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway and
airflow are blocked, causing the oxygen levels to
drop in both in the brain and the blood,
resulting in shallow breathing or breathing
pauses during sleep.
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How is Sleep Apnea Treated?
For some of our patients at Coastal Ear, Nose
Throat, conservative treatment options could
start with lifestyle changes, such as losing
weight, limiting alcohol consumption, and
quitting smoking. These could provide sufficient
relief, but it is more likely that more involved
treatments will be necessary. These are two
common non-surgical treatments CPAP The next
step up from oral appliance therapy would be
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP
is a breathing system that uses air pressure to
keep the upper airway passages open. The patient
wears a mask over his or her nose during sleep.
The mask creates air pressure that is somewhat
greater than the air pressure in the bedroom, and
this difference in pressure keeps the airway
open. The problem with CPAP, however, is that
some people find it difficult to sleep with the
tubes and mask. This can lead to a low
compliance rate. Oral Appliance Therapy In some
patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep
apnea, oral appliance therapy can be successful.
This involves fitting and ordering a custom-made
mouthpiece for the patient to wear while
sleeping. The mouthpiece is similar to a sports
mouth guard. It supports the jaw in a forward
position to help keep the airway open. Currently,
there are over 100 FDA- approved oral
appliances, and we help our patients find the
option that is best for them.
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Surgical Treatment
If conservative treatment is unsuccessful in
treating sleep apnea, there are other options
available. Individuals who suffer from severe
cases of sleep apnea that may lead to serious
medical conditions, may benefit from surgery.
The goal of most surgical procedures is to remove
the excess tissue from the nose or throat and
open upper air passages to facilitate breathing.
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Inspire Implant

• Inspire works inside your body while you sleep.
  Its a small device placed during a same-day,
  outpatient procedure. When youre ready for bed,
  simply click the remote to turn Inspire on.
  While you sleep, Inspire opens your airway,
  allowing you to breathe normally and sleep
  peacefully. Our Head Neck surgery expert Dr.
  Kenneth Newkirk, is one of the few surgeons in
  the state who performs this cutting edge and
  quality of life saving procedure.
• How does it work?
• Sleep apnea is caused by upper airway collapse,
  often when the back of the tongue falls back
  into the throat. This device gives just enough
  stimulation to the nerve that controls the
  tongue, that it prevents this collapse when you
  inspire.
• How is the procedure performed?
• There is a small incision placed in the neck to
  find the nerve and another over the chest. The
  implant is placed in a skin pocket similar to a
  pacemaker.
• What happens after?
• Once you have recovered from surgery, then we
  titrate the stimulation to effect, with a
  convenient remote control.

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3700 Route 33
Neptune, NJ
Contact Us
Neptune, NJ 07753 [phone] (main) (732)
280-7815
1301 Route 72 Unit 340 Manahawkin, NJ 08050 (609)
978-0590 [phone]
Manahawkin, NJ
Thank you for your time! Reach out to us for
questions.
Holmdel, NJ
100 Commons Way 210 Holmdel, NJ 07733 (732)
280-7855 (732)-280-7815
info_at_coastalhearing.com [phone] www.coasta
learnoseandthroat.com