Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates, PA (CSMA) Mission Statement:
Our mission is to provide a comprehensive approach to the high-quality care of our patients, ranging from newborns to the elderly. CSMA sets the Platinum Standard in providing care to our patients with sleep disorders. We utilize diagnostic testing in a variety of settings including home, hospital, or the laboratory, with procedures that are above and beyond industry standards. This is critical in establishing the proper diagnosis in the most difficult cases. Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates is committed to maintaining excellence, respect, and integrity in all aspects of our operations with both patients and healthcare professionals.
While snoring is a nuisance to those around you, it may also be a sign of a more serious breathing disorder known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea results when you stop breathing at intervals throughout the night — your body awakens just enough to breathe, and you probably aren’t aware of the problem. Sleep apnea can result in daytime drowsiness, memory loss, high blood pressure, and even premature death.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a breathing-related sleep disorder that can pose serious health threats. OSA occurs when a person regularly stops breathing (apnea) for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. This is usually caused by either the tongue or the soft palate falling against the back of the throat when the muscles relax during sleep.
Sleep apnea episodes can happen anywhere from 5 to 50 times an hour.
Because of the interrupted loss of sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness often occurs. This can put a person with obstructive sleep apnea symptoms at even greater risk by causing them to fall asleep while driving or working.
A sleep study is the only way to positively diagnose sleep apnea. Once diagnosed, there are several sleep apnea aids and treatments that allow patients to maintain an open airway during sleep.