Frequently Asked Questions

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical condition where a person ceases to breathe for several seconds to even a few moments while asleep. When left untreated, sleep apnea leads to serious and life threatening health problems like diabetes, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, and even heart failure and stroke.

Snoring is the first and most obvious symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. You may also notice that you are waking more frequently at night or waking up feeling as though you received very little sleep! Other symptoms include: morning dry mouth, headaches, and mood changes.

People with obstructive sleep apnea snore as their windpipe becomes obstructed, or blocked. This obstruction can be caused by excess weight on their neck and chest, relaxation of the soft tissue in the mouth and throat, as well as poor sleep positioning.

If you are worried that you may be suffering from sleep apnea, call your doctor’s office and schedule an appointment. If you’re doctor believes you might be at risk, he or she will likely send you to a lab where a sleep study will be performed. Polysomnography’s, or sleep studies, are used to conclusively diagnose sleep apnea. Here, they will keep an eye on your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, brain activity, and number of breaths or episodes without breath throughout the night.

Once your physician receives the results of your sleep study and determines that you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, they will likely write you a prescription for a CPAP machine, the treatment of choice in most cases of sleep apnea.

A sleep apnea mask is the portion of your CPAP equipment that connects to your head and delivers the air to your windpipe. Not all masks are the same; masks come in varying sizes as well as styles. The most popular styles include:

    • Full Face Masks: The most familiar of the CPAP mask styles, a full face mask is great for providing consistent pressures, especially at high pressure settings.
    • Nasal Masks: Likely the most popular of the CPAP masks, nasal masks offer a clear line of sight and a less claustrophobic feel.
    • Nasal Pillows: Made and sized to fit snuggly into your nostrils, nasal pillows are the smallest and most lightweight CPAP mask option. They are good for patients with low pressure level settings.

 

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy via a CPAP machine is a painless, effective, and stops snoring immediately. It works by using forced air to keep your airway open just enough to prevent any obstruction. With a CPAP machine, you and your spouse will sleep soundly while preventing secondary illnesses related to sleep apnea such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

In the United States, you must have a prescription to purchase a CPAP machine. To ensure that you are being treated properly, your doctor should be monitoring your compliance and progress with CPAP therapy. If you think you may have sleep apnea and would like suggestions on how to see a physician and begin treatment, feel free to call us during business hours at 847.357.8782.

We value customer service because your health is truly our priority. In order to bed serve you, we offer many services, including:

  • Equipment Set-Up and Education: When you make purchase sleep apnea treatment supplies from our store, we will spend at least one hour with you ensuring that your mask fits properly, that you understand how to use your equipment, and are able to identify when you having problems.
  • Follow Up: After we’ve helped you purchase your complete CPAP set up, we will call you 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months afterwards to ensure that you get help with any problems you may have come across. Advanced Sleep Therapy values your health and wellness above all else, and so we also offer wireless compliance monitoring.
  • Appointments at Home: We cover a geographic area that includes a general area of a 70-mile radius from our location in Arlington Heights, IL. If you are unsure whether or not we are able to serve you at home, please call and we will do our best to accommodate you.
  • Quality Equipment and Education: At Advanced Sleep Therapy we offer a large variety of medical equipment to suit your needs. We’ll help you choose the best for you, whether it is a CPAP machine, BiPAP, APAPA, Nocturnal Oxygenation, or any of the associated accessories.
  • On-Call Access: We believe that your therapy should not go untreated because you are having problems with your sleep therapy. If you feel that you are having urgent problems and need to speak with a trained Respiratory Therapist or Nurse after hours, call our office and you will be given directions on how to contact the on-call professional.

If you’re experiencing extreme changes in your breathing such as heaviness in your chest, dizziness, fainting, or unusual shortness of breath, call 911.

You can buy your CPAP supplies right here in our shop at 2035 South Arlington Heights Suite 115, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Karen Grollo, our director of sales would love to show you around our storefront and direct you to the perfect respiratory professional to suit your specific needs. If you’re not living within driving distance from our shop, please visit BreatheEasyCPAP.com.