Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome

A restful night’s sleep can greatly depend on your breathing. That’s why when you and your doctor are looking into treatment options for your sleep interruptions, it’s vital that you look at your breathing patterns and behaviors.

What is Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome?

When the snoring and the resistance present in the airway are  prominent  enough to disrupt sleep, it is considered upper airway resistance syndrome or “UARS”. Patients with UARS, have such poor sleep quality that it results in clinical consequences such as insomnia and persistent drowsiness. However, something  important to note is that not all patients with UARS have noticeable snoring. Some patients have more of an increase in the effort  to breath due to a respiratory obstruction such as and enlarged tongue base. Other symptoms of UARS are dry mouth, morning headaches, insomnia or lack of energy during the day.

 Causes & Treatment of UARS

UARS is now believed to be the middle ground between benign snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. This is not a quick process but rather a natural progression over time from harmless snoring to UARS, and finally to obstructive sleep apnea. This process likely occurs over many years. One of the few instances where this happens more rapidly is after weight gain. Even though UARS is not full-blown  sleep apnea, it is still important to see your ENT specialist for treatment because of the potential progression of your symptoms. By opening the upper airway, you can experience better sleep and wake  up more refreshed and ready to start your day.

AOO/ENT specialists of the Rockies

AOO | ENT Specialist of the Rockies is a practice that has been serving the Denver area for over 40 years. This group of board-certified physicians has exceptional experience treating multi-generational families and meeting their needs in ENT services, sleep health, sinus and allergy treatment, hearing treatment, and facial plastic surgery. Our team includes ENT physicians, specialty-trained nurses, audiologists, and plastic surgeons. In addition to outstanding routine care, our team is available 24/7 for emergencies

Meet Our Providers

Schedule a Consultation

If you are located in the Denver and Lone Tree area and you are noticing fatigue and wake up feeling tired with other symptoms, give us a call to schedule an office evaluation. Associates of Otolaryngology  is ready to help you find your individual treatment plan.