DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. (No surprise there as symptoms were omnipresent.) CPAP machines seem incredibly uncomfortable. Are they the preferred gold standard even for mild sleep apnea? (I’m not even sure if “mild” is accurate since all sleep issues are serious to me.)
Also, I believe my deviated septum is the bane of my sleep existence since I can’t breathe through my nose. I understand they have to break my nose to straighten the bone, which does not sound like fun. On the other hand, the stakes are high by not getting it fixed. Thoughts? — E.M.
ANSWER: Obstructive sleep apnea is when a person stops breathing during sleep due to obstruction of their airway. Some people have an anatomy in the back of their throat that predisposes them to their throat closing when their muscles are relaxed during sleep.
