Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Our Procedures

Sleep Apnoea – A Common Problem

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common and serious sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing during your sleep. The airway repeatedly becomes blocked, limiting the amount of air that reaches your lungs. When this happens, you may snore loudly or make choking noises as you try to breathe. Your brain and body become oxygen deprived and you may wake up, however often it goes unnoticed by ourselves and it is usually our partners that wake us first. This may happen a few times a night, or in more severe cases, several times a night.

Corrective Jaw Surgery

*

What Causes Sleep Apnoea?

In many cases, an apnoea, or temporary pause in breathing, is caused by the tissue in the back of the throat collapsing over the airway. The muscles of the upper airways relax when you fall asleep. If you sleep on your back, gravity can cause the tongue to fall back. This narrows the airway, which reduces the amount of air that can reach your lungs. The narrowed airway causes snoring by making the tissue in the back of the throat vibrate as you breathe.

Sleep apnoea can make you wake up in the morning feeling tired or unrefreshed even though you have had a full night of sleep. During the day, you may feel fatigued, have difficulty concentrating or you may even unintentionally, fall asleep due to lack of deep rem sleep during the night. The lack of oxygen your body receives can have negative long-term consequences for your health. This includes: High blood pressure, Heart disease, Stroke, Pre-diabetes and diabetes and Depression.

There are many people with sleep apnoea who have not been diagnosed or received treatment. A sleep medicine physician can diagnose obstructive sleep apnoea using an in-lab sleep study or a home sleep test. Sleep apnoea is manageable using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), the front-line treatment for sleep apnoea, oral appliance therapy or surgery.

More complex surgical procedures can adjust your bone structures including the jaw, nose and facial bones. This involves planned Orthognathic Surgery.

Need To Speak With Corrective Jaw Specialist?

Get In Touch
ABOUT FACIOMAX

Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons treat a wide variety of diseases involving mouth, teeth, jaws and face. Our team of Brisbane Oral Surgeons are at the forefront of the latest surgical expertise and with our experience, we are able to provide an unparalleled excellent standard of care.

FIND US AT
  • Level 5, Morris Towers
    149 Wickham Terrace
    Brisbane, QLD 4000