Do you experience persistent exhaustion, obtrusive snoring, or disrupted sleep patterns? If yes, then you are likely dealing with sleep apnea. This disorder creates serious health risks and reduces your overall quality of life.
At Clinique Dentaire Dr. Rita Issa, our team provides personalized sleep apnea treatment services for patients dealing with sleep apnea as well as other sleep-related conditions.
As a trusted sleep apnea clinic in Rue Jean-Talon E, Montréal, we help patients breathe better while enabling deeper sleep to achieve improved health.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes breathing to stop during normal sleep cycles. The two reasons your breathing stops during sleep include obstructive sleep apnea from blocked airways or central sleep apnea, where the brain’s regulatory control fails to operate properly.
A lack of oxygen activates survival mechanisms, waking you up briefly before you start breathing again. This protective mechanism sustains your life, yet disrupts your sleep patterns. This prevents restful sleep. This condition puts stress on the heart that might become fatal if it remains untreated.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Some of the most common symptoms associated with sleep apnea are
- Wake up over and over at night
- Breathing pauses while sleeping
- Snoring and abnormal breathing patterns
- Waking up breathless or feeling like you’re choking
- Fatigue, sleepiness, or feeling exhausted upon waking up
Symptoms you may also experience are
- Headaches (particularly in the morning)
- Sweats at night
- Changes in mood (depression & anxiety)
- Feeling disturbed at night
Sleep apnea can present differently in children.
Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can affect anyone, including children as well as adults. Several common risk factors of sleep apnea are
- A family history of sleep apnea biologically
- A heart condition, stroke, or high blood pressure
- Large tonsils and Obesity
Your risk grows as you age. Males are diagnosed more frequently before age 50.
How can sleep apnea be prevented?
You can’t avoid all causes of sleep apnea. But you can take some steps to lower your risk by
- Achieving and maintaining a weight that is right for you
- Eating well and exercising regularly
- Following good sleep hygiene (such as having a consistent bedtime and turning off electronics)
- Controlling other health problems, such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes
- Visiting your healthcare provider at least once a year for a check-up
- Staying away from tobacco and alcoholic drinks
Treatment of Sleep Apnea
The treatment options depend on the type of sleep apnea and its severity level, according to healthcare provider recommendations. These may include:
- A person can treat sleep apnea with a breathing device named a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
- The treatment requires proper management of health problems that cause or intensify your sleep apnea risk.
- A different sleep position that helps prevent airway pressure from building up
- Patients benefit from using oral appliances because they support open airways during sleep.
- Patients use neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) devices to stop tongue and upper airway muscle obstruction that might cause blocked airways during sleep.
- Taking medications and undergoing surgery
Check Your Sleepiness Score
Daytime sleepiness can indicate sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a basic self-assessment questionnaire that can help measure how likely you are to doze off in everyday situations, such as watching TV or sitting quietly after lunch.
- 0: hardly doze or sleep
- 1: a low possibility that you can snooze or rest
- 2: moderate likelihood of falling asleep or napping
- 3: high risk of resting or sleeping.
| Situation | Chance of dozing off or sleeping | |||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Sitting or reading at any place | ||||
| Watching Television | ||||
| Inactively sitting in a public area | ||||
| Spending 1 hour in the car as a passenger | ||||
| Resting in the afternoon | ||||
| Lying and chatting with someone | ||||
| Sitting peacefully without alcohol after lunch | ||||
| Taking a little break in traffic while driving | ||||
Total Epworth Score:
Scoring Guide:
- 0–10: Normal
- 11–14: Mild sleepiness
- 15–17: Average sleepiness
- 18+: Extreme sleepiness
You need to communicate with a sleep specialist if your score is 11 or above.
What to Expect During Your Sleep Apnea Consultation
At Clinique Dentaire Dr. Rita Issa, you will receive more than a typical medical consultation during your sleep apnea evaluation. The process of providing outstanding medical care begins with active listening; that’s why we invest time in understanding your comprehensive health status.
During your appointment, we will need to learn about your sleep patterns, healthcare background, and symptoms such as heavy snoring, ongoing exhaustion, or waking breathlessly. Our team will thoroughly inspect your oral cavity, analyze your jaw alignment, and throat structures to find which dental or anatomical elements may cause sleep apnea.
Your complete evaluation process confirms which treatment option, including custom oral appliances, is most suitable for your condition.
Why Choose Our Sleep Apnea Clinic?
At Clinique Dentaire Dr. Rita Issa, we provide advanced care that is designed to fulfill each patient’s specific requirements. Dr. Rita Issa has years of experience along with specialized training in orofacial pain, snoring, TMJ, and sleep apnea. Our sleep and respiratory clinic provides the following top features that set us apart from others:
Accurate Diagnosis
Our staff allows patients to schedule sleep apnea testing in Rue Jean-Talon E, Montreal, resulting in either home-based or facility-based studies for diagnostic evaluation purposes.
Personalized Treatment Plans
No two patients are alike. Our team works with you to find the best treatments, either custom-made oral appliances or CPAP therapies.
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
We coordinate with ENT specialists, pulmonologists, and other medical providers to ensure you get a complete and successful treatment method.
Proven Solutions
Whether it be lifestyle counseling or partnering with top CPAP clinics, our sleep apnea specialists offer support every step of the way.
Your Trusted Sleep Apnea Doctor in Montréal
If you want a sleep apnea doctor in Rue Jean-Talon E or a sleep apnea clinic with a human approach, you’re in safe hands.
Sleeping shouldn’t be a battle. If you’re sick of waking up exhausted or keeping your partner up at night with loud snoring, don’t delay. Our mission as sleep apnea specialists is to help patients through individualized expert care.
Contact Clinique Dentaire Dr. Rita Issa to book an appointment. Our collaboration will lead to better sleep quality, breathing, and overall well-being.
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