Talking About Sleep Apnea With an ENT Doctor

I have been trying to pursue answers for my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It hasn’t been easy as a second sleep study, a more comprehensive one, has yet to be done.

Through an unrelated issue, I found out that I had a deviated right nasal septum and I couldn’t understand why it hadn’t been treated when I was a kid. Recent developments around my OSA included looking at the possibility of removing tonsils, and some surprising good news.

Talking about sleep apnea with my ENT

I have been seeing an ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor) for unrelated issues and decided that I wanted to ask him about my OSA and my deviated nasal septum. When I saw him and told him about my OSA and deviated nasal septum, he took a quick look in my nose with a camera.

Apparently, my deviation is very tiny and it does not interfere with my OSA. He then took a look at my mouth and throat, turns out that it is narrow. It could be having an effect on my OSA but the ENT doesn’t know for sure yet.

Would removing tonsils help my sleep apnea?

My doctor informed me that one of the things that might help – emphasis on might – is having my tonsils removed. He warned me it’s a painful surgery that takes 2 weeks to recover from, which, with my fibromyalgia, that means more pain than normal.

The doctor inquired about my sleep study results but I couldn’t recall them so depending on those results, having my tonsils removed might be beneficial. In the meantime, the only treatment options that I have for my OSA are to follow a sleep routine and keep up with my restless legs syndrome medications. Even if having my tonsils removed is quite painful, it will be worth it in the end for a better night's sleep.

What the ENT concluded from my sleep study results

Thankfully, I saw him 2 weeks ago as a follow-up to a scope I had at the beginning of August. I gave him the results of the sleep study and he informed me that having my tonsils removed would only lessen my snoring. As I don’t really snore that much – pretty much only when I have a cold – I decided that I was fine keeping my tonsils.

If my snoring was something that was more of a problem or disturbed my husband, I might consider it. I don’t want to experience pain if it’s not necessary/beneficial. The ENT was happy with that choice; he didn’t want me to experience pain for 2 weeks if it wasn’t totally necessary.

We want to hear from you!

Have you ever talked to an ENT about your sleep apnea? How did the conversation go? Did you learn any new information that helped with your treatment decisions? We would love to hear your story! Share with us in the comments below, or visit our stories section to read other community members' stories or to submit your own!