Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea happens when the muscles in your mouth or throat relax and block your airway, making it harder to breathe. Partner with Montage Health’s physicians to address your symptoms and help you sleep more peacefully, more often.

Signs of sleep apnea

Talk to a sleep specialist in Montage Medical Group if you have sleep apnea symptoms, such as:

• Snoring that wakes you up or disturbs your bed partner
• Waking up gasping or choking for air
• Feeling drowsy while driving

Your doctor may order a sleep study to learn more about your symptoms and make a diagnosis.

Why you should seek care

Because sleep apnea stops you from getting enough rest, the condition can contribute to:

• Blood sugar increases in people with diabetes
• Daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating, and drowsy, dangerous driving
• Depression and irritability
• Heart disease and stroke
• High blood pressure
• Memory decline
• Weight gain

Treating sleep apnea

Count on your doctor to recommend the best approach to relieve your sleep apnea.

Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy

Your most effective treatment option may be continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP). A small, quiet machine gently blows air into a mask you wear in bed to help you breathe steadily, so you don’t snore or gasp for air.

See a sleep specialist in Montage Medical Group regularly to adjust your device and learn how to feel comfortable using it each night. Trust this doctor for expertise that helps you get the best results — even if you didn’t feel successful using PAP therapy in the past.

Always bring your device to the hospital if you’re planning to stay there overnight.

Where to buy PAP devices

After you receive a prescription for PAP therapy, call or visit a medical supply store to check if they sell the equipment you need:

Apria Healthcare

1 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite 600, Monterey
Phone: (831) 655-4080

Care Medical

401 Victor Way, #1, Salinas
Phone: (831) 737-1660

Using your device

Watch a video to learn how to use ResMed AirSense™ Series 10 PAP equipment.

Oral appliance therapy

For mild sleep apnea, you may wear a small device in your mouth during sleep to keep your tongue or jaw in a position that doesn’t block airflow. Your sleep doctor can refer you to a dentist who treats sleep apnea for a custom oral appliance fitting.

Sleep apnea surgery

Occasionally, your doctor may recommend surgery (such as tonsil removal) to treat the parts of your mouth, throat, or nose that block breathing during sleep. Ask your insurance provider about your plan’s coverage. You may need to try PAP therapy before your plan will cover surgery.

Healthy lifestyle changes

In addition to getting treatment, follow healthy sleep habits to help ease symptoms of sleep apnea:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Sleep on your side instead of your back
• Stop drinking alcohol four hours before bedtime
• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
• Talk to your doctor about the effect of sleeping pills and pain medications on sleep apnea
• Tell your doctor about your sleep apnea before you get surgery or stay in the hospital