ADULTS
Snoring is a sound produced at the back of the throat. It can wake you or your partner and can be socially embarrassing. If you experience additional symptoms of choking, witnessed apneas, and feel unusually sleepy in the day, experience headaches, it is likely that you have sleep apnea. An ENT consult is advised as untreated sleep apnea is associated with multiple medical problems.
Risk factors Include:
- Family history of snoring and sleep apnea
- Obesity
- Structural (small or receded jaw, large tongue, low lying soft palate)
- Inflammatory (reflux, nasal allergies)
A visit with our sleep doctor encompasses taking a sleep history, BMI measurement and a head and neck examination. A sleep test is commonly scheduled to get diagnosis and to determine sleep apnea severity. Treatment of sleep apnea is highly individualised.
Non-Surgical options:
- Weight loss
- Optimise medical therapy for nasal and reflux symptoms
- Positive airway pressure therapy or Mandibular Advancement Device
- Myofunctional Therapy
Surgical options:
- Drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE)
- Radiofrequency soft palate
- Radiofrequency tongue base
- Tonsillectomy
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
- Oral tongue channeling
- Lingual tonsillectomy
- Maxillomandibular Advancement
- Bariatric surgery
CHILDREN
Sleep apnea in children is often associated with nasal obstruction secondary to nasal allergies and having enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Nasal obstruction should be treated adequately to correct mouth breathing for the upper and lower jaw to develop normally, giving space behind the throat (oropharyngeal airway). In addition, the size of the tonsils and adenoids peak at age 2-8 years. It is important to recognise sleep apnea symptoms in a snoring child early as the condition is associated with neurocognitive and behavioural problems if left untreated.
Symptoms in a snoring child who is likely to have sleep apnea:
Night symptoms:
- Laboured breathing
- Sleep walking
- Night terrors
- Bedwetting
- Excessive sweating
- Restless sleep
- Abnormal sleeping postures
Daytime symptoms:
- Difficulty in waking in mornings
- Aggressiveness
- Irritability, crankiness
- Lack of concentration
- Attention issues at school
A visit to our sleep doctor encompasses taking a sleep history, head and neck examination, BMI measurement and charting of development milestones. A sleep test is only required in certain cases. Not every child will require removal of tonsils and adenoids.
Paediatric OSA treatment options:
- Optimise medical therapy for nasal obstruction and nasal allergy
- Surgical removal of the adenoids and tonsils
- Orthodontic
- Positive airway pressure therapy
- Drug induced sleep endoscopy
OUR ENT SURGEON
Dr Soon Sue Rene
Adj Asst Prof
MBBS (S’pore)
MRCS (Edin)
MMED-ORL (S’pore)
FAMS-ORL (S’pore)
- ENT Surgeon with special interest in Adult and Children Ear Nose Throat Conditions
- Experienced In treating young children
- Specialised in Minimally Invasive Snoring & Sleep Apnea Techniques
- Instructor and Speaker At International Sleep Conferences
- Internationally trained in Canada, Italy & Taiwan
Dr Soon Sue Rene
Senior Consultant
MBBS (S’pore)
MRCS (Edin)
MMED-ORL (S’pore)
FAMS-ORL (S’pore)
- ENT Surgeon with special interest in Adult and Children Ear Nose Throat Conditions
- Experienced In treating young children
- Specialised in Minimally Invasive Snoring & Sleep Apnea Techniques
- Instructor and Speaker At International Sleep Conferences
- Internationally trained in Canada, Italy & Taiwan
INSURANCE
We are on the specialists panels of the following Health Networks/Insurance Plans:
Personal Insurance
Corporate Insurance
AT ADULT AND CHILD ENT SPECIALISTS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EFFECTIVE, PERSONALISED & HOLISTIC CARE FOR ALL PATIENTS
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Appointment
Attentive &
Conscientious Team
Minimally Invasive
Techniques
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