Sleep Apnoea Clinic in Melbourne

Snoring may be the only sign of sleep apnoea which is well known to have other serious health side effects. When someone snores it generally means they have an airway narrowing or obstruction. Hence the fluttering of the palate or other areas of the airway when you sleep as your breathing is drawn through a narrowed  oropharynx or nose.

The causes for snoring or airway narrowing are individual and often numerous.

A blocked nose , nasal allergy, polyps, large tonsills ,adenoids and obesity are all causes of snoring.

Diagnosis

A thorough upper airways examination is essential to diagnosing the causes of snoring, sleep apnoea and sleep disordered breathing.

This is usually performed in the rooms after a thorough history is taken and the results discussed with the patient and family immediately.

Treatment

After the cause of your snoring and sleep apnoea has been identified, individualised treatments are then offered according to the diagnosis you have been given.  Snoring and sleep apnoea management involves optimising your nasal airway, potentially with work on the nasal septum, the nasal tip and turbinates. Removal of polyps or adenoids is also often performed.  Further treatment for simple snoring can be done to the palate involving shortening or tightening the palate and removing tonsils if required. 

If your snoring and sleep apnoea has been found to come from further down in your airway, other treatment may be required if tongue collapse is identified as a significant issue. Coblation tongue channeling may be offered as well as other procedures, if appropriate.

If further treatment is required we can refer you to a specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for adjustment and bony alignment work to the maxilla or mandible as required.  All of our patients have follow up sleep studies generally using the Watchpat to further assess their sleep apnoea at 4 months or more post-operatively.