SLEEP THERAPY

Treatment of snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea can be very effective with an oral appliance. The comfortable appliances are custom designed to physiologically prevent airway collapse by stabilizing your lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, muscles and nervous system. A conservative approach is always the first line of action. If these methods are unsuccessful, or simply not enough, combination therapies or surgical options may be in order. Dr. Walker works closely with specialists who provide adjunctive treatment there. However, if these modalities fail, Dr. Walker works closely with providers that can offer surgical options for managing OSA. These procedures range from surgeries directed at the nose, soft palate, tongue, and permanent repositioning of the upper and lower jaws.

We are never to young or too old to start breathing. We can go for weeks without food, days without water, but only minutes without oxygen. When there is a struggle to breathe, at any age, our brains process this as a life threatening event, as it should! All body systems are then in “fight or flight” survival mode: the heart works harder, glucose and cortisol levels rise, grown hormone levels decrease, digestion is interrupted, immune function is suppressed, and bladder relaxation occurs. Sleep is designed for us to rest, repair and digest. It is so important that we are programmed to do so for a third of our entire lives.