Dr. Kandula went on The Morning Blend to share what makes ADVENT's approach to treating sleep and sinus issues different from your typical big-box healthcare provider.
Well, anyone who has nasal congestion, constant sinus infections and really bad snoring knows how frustrating it can be when your nose just doesn't work properly.
That is for sure. In today's Sleep Well, Breathe Well series with ADVENT, we're going to learn about treating upper airway issues to deliver life changing results. Dr. Madan Kandula is here to explain how their approach is different from the rest. Great to see you.
Good to see you again.
Good to be here. Thank you.
I mean, these nose throat issues with breathing seem for so many people to be chronic where they just accept, "Well, it's just how my nose doesn't work."
Yeah. I mean, and some people who've had noses that work and they stop working, they kind of know about it. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. But it's such common issues that there's nowhere I can go these days without somebody coming up to me. And telling me their story.
Oh, I bet.
They can't breathe- Exactly. So which is cool-
We've all done it.
It's fine. It's fine. I mean, because they're so impactful, I guess, is the bottom line is that they're so dismissed in our current health care system, they're so impactful. People are frustrated. They have this sort of pent up, like, I just want to breathe properly and you can if you kind of find yourself in the right space.
Yeah, I would imagine it's a lot of the spouses coming up to you, though, like telling you about their spouse. And then at that time, I know a popular term that you've coined is this Breathing Triangle.
Yeah.
So is that where you kind of explain to people when they come up and they're like, listen, you're like, here's what you need to know.
Here is the story. Yeah. I mean, The Breathing Triangle© is the nose and throat. So you've got your two nostrils. You've got your mouth that makes an upside down triangle, which everybody can see there. And we had to really create that construct because people didn't really know how to put their finger on what was going on. And the reality is the breathing triangle is the start of life.
You cannot breathe without those areas working properly. If any of those areas are working improperly, your life is going to be impacted. And it's really a primal instinct for us. If you think about it, if somebody comes up and we cover your Breathing Triangle, you go into a panic. Many people have that same thing going on behind the scenes.
If you're sleeping at night and you stop breathing, it's panic creating. It's panic creating for the person sitting next to you. And yet we kind of dismiss it. And so, "Oh, he's just snoring, she's just snoring. No big deal." It is a big deal. And your body doesn't like it and it creates a whole constellation of issues all coming back to the start of your airway.
Which is The Breathing Triangle©.
Well, and a lot of people will complain about a sore throat or breathing issues, which seems to be mouth and throat. Why is it then that you start with nasal first?
The nose is the start of the airway. If your nose isn't working properly, your airway can't work properly. And so many people have become habituated to open their mouth to breathe. Sometimes during the day, oftentimes at night. If you're breathing through your mouth, there's a problem there. I mean, the only sort of time I'll let somebody off the hook is if you're in 100 yard dash or something like that, fine, you open your mouth.
I mean, but if you're living your normal life and you're struggling to breathe through your nose, there's something not right there. And likely there's an anatomy issue going on that that can be corrected.
And usually something like a nasal-first is not something that has to be in a hospital setting, right? A lot of people would say, well, what do I do? Do I just go to my regular doctor? What should I be doing?
Yeah. I mean, the reality is, is almost nothing that we do that helps these areas needs to be done in a hospital setting. Almost everything can be done in office. At ADVENT, almost everything we do is done in an office setting under local anesthesia. So it's very, very rare that we would need to take somebody to the operating room. That's changed since I first started coming on The Morning Blend.
That's 180 degrees different, you know.
So there was more operating in the beginning?
It was 100% operating room when I- you know, this is ten, 15 years ago. So in the course of my practice we've changed that to say no, you know, we can do things in the office. We have the technology patients want that and we can deliver results and then you know it's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy where we offer something that is needed for people who are desperate and wanting relief. You know, great things could happen.
And I know one of the huge benefits is the recovery. The downtime is so much less and then people recover faster and get back to their normal lives. So what kinds of solutions can you do in office for all those kinds of breathing problems we're talking about, from snoring to chronic sinus infections, perhaps sore throats, mouth breathing?
Yeah. I mean, you know, conceptually, if somebody's got issues in these areas, either things are too tight, the anatomy is too narrow or the lining is irritated, or sometimes both of those things are going on. So we can open the anatomy in the office in a simple, elegant manner. Balloon sinuplasty is a procedure. We just go in through the nose, open the sinus passageways with the balloon.
A turbinate reduction is a way to open the airways. Simple in office. We're talking just a matter of minutes. You know, similarly, as far as folks who are snoring asleep at the other things we can do in the back of the throat to open those airways up These are simple, effective, efficient procedures covered by insurance. It's sort of all the right stuff.
Good news, like you said. Yeah, they're covered by insurance. And that's the thing. They don't have to see their doctor first to see you, right?
No, they don't. And the reality is most folks are just looking for answers and we're here to help.
Yep. Well, and I know a big way you can get some of those answers is just by starting that quiz. It's on your website. It's just a quick quiz. It's The Breathing Triangle® quiz. And that'll give you some information, let you know whether or not you should make an appointment. I think that's what's super helpful. So thank you so much for being here.
Thank you.
I love it.
All right. And viewers who think they might have a Breathing Triangle issue, go to AdventMorningBlend.com to take that Breathing Triangle quiz that Tif just mentioned or schedule an appointment online. It takes just a minute. 60 seconds. Most insurances are accepted and no referral is required. Milwaukee locations very easy. Wauwatosa, Mequon, Oconomowoc, Oak Creek and Pleasant Prairie.
They also have offices in Appleton, Illinois and now Indiana, too. Your everywhere, which is great.