- People who suffer from chronic sinusitis are more likely to experience poor-quality sleep.
- Sinusitis can cause sleep apnea by creating sinus congestion and inflammation that block the nasal passages.
- People with sleep apnea face an increased risk of heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver problems, and strokes.
“Whenever you are sick, and particularly if this is coupled with nasal congestion, sinus infections, and inflammation, it will affect your quality of sleep,” Dr. Schalch Lepe told the Coachella Valley Times. “You won't be able to breathe well through your nose. You will feel tired and exhausted, but at the same time, you're not going to be able to sleep very well. And healthy life means also healthy sleep.”
Dr. Schalch Lepe was recently a guest on Fox5 News San Diego to discuss obstructive sleep apnea. According to Schalch Lepe, obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that occurs when the airway in the throat collapses during sleep, leading to snoring and eventually blocking the airway entirely. This prevents the body from entering deep sleep, and if it happens continuously, can negatively affect a person's health.
Dr. Schalch Lepe appeared on the program with a patient who had suffered from obstructive sleep apnea for decades. Traditional treatments, including the use of a CPAP machine, failed to work for her. However, after undergoing a procedure performed by Dr. Schalch Lepe to correct her sleep apnea, she says that her sleep apnea cleared up. In the interview, Dr. Schalch Lepe emphasized that, thanks to technological advances, there are now more treatment options available for sleep apnea, recognizing that no single method works for every patient.
The procedure to correct sleep apnea involve implanting a device that keeps a patient’s airways open by stimulating the muscles in the airway. This device is designed to be a lifelong solution and does not remove any part of the patient’s anatomy but instead enhances the function of existing structures.
More than 30 million people are estimated to have obstructive sleep apnea, yet only six million have received a diagnosis. Common symptoms include snoring, mood swings, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
According to SoCal Breathe Free's website, Dr. Paul Schalch Lepe is an otolaryngologist and ENT doctor in San Diego who specializes in sinus, allergy, and sleep treatments. He completed his residency in otolaryngology at the UC Irvine Medical Center at the UC Irvine School of Medicine and earned his medical degree at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico School of Medicine in Mexico City.