One of the most well-known treatments and which is also one of the most effective sleep apnea treatments is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure which is also known as the CPAP
device. This type of sleep apnea treatment works by
splinting the airway of the sufferer keeping it open during sleep by a flow of pressurized air into the throat. This device helps with assisting patients who are suffering from sleep apnea to inhale but not exhale, however there is another device called the BiPAP machine which can assist sleep apnea sufferers with both inhaling and exhaling and is often used in more severe cases.
As well as the CPAP and the BiPAP machine, other
sleep apnea treatments can come from a dentist
who specializes in sleep disorders. They will be
able to prescribe a sleep apnea suffer with
something called Oral Appliance Therapy, also
known as OAT and this comes in the form of a
customized mouthpiece which is fitted only for the
sufferer and it works by shifting the bottom jaw forwards which in turn helps to open up the airway. This type of treatment is often rather successful, especially in sufferers who have only mild or moderate symptoms of sleep apnea. This is quite a new treatment which is becoming quite popular with Treatment of Sleep Apnea Page 14 of 49
sleep apnea suffers, but it has been commonly used in Europe for quite some time now.
One thing which you can do to help yourself if you are a sufferer of sleep apnea is to lose weight. If you are overweight then this can affect your symptoms and can sometimes even be the main cause of sleep apnea. By losing weight if you need to and keeping and active social life and exercising regularly, you could help to treat your sleep apnea the natural way without having to use anything else except for your own will power. If you are overweight, then losing any excess weight will not only help the symptoms of your sleep apnea, but it will also make you feel a lot healthier over all.
Sleep Apnea Treatment: Mild Cases
If you have been having some difficulties sleeping, or you have been suffering from interrupted sleep then you could be suffering from sleep apnea. This sleep disorder is actually quite common and it is usually affected by age and weight, if you are heavily overweight then it is often more common and can affect you dramatically. Sleep apnea will cause a sufferer to stop breathing for one or more breaths throughout the night and whereas most sufferers do not even realize it is happening, for the partner of a suffer it can be quite scary and it can end up disturbing both your sleep and the person you share a bed with leading to crankiness and tiredness. But there are a lot of ways that you can treat sleep apnea so that you can get a good night sleep and not worry about disturbing your partner.
You first step when it comes to sleep apnea treatment is to get diagnosed.
This is usually done through a sleep clinic where you will be monitored during a period of sleep so that the condition and
the severity of the disorder can be
determined. There are many different kinds
of sleep apnea treatment available, but if
you are only suffering from a mild case, then
there are some easy treatments which you
can do for yourself which do not involve
having to take medication or surgery.
There first and most effective sleep apnea
Treatment of Sleep Apnea Page 15 of 49
treatment in mild cases are, if you are obese or overweight to lose any excess weight. This will help to keep your airways clear and it will also make you much healthier in the long run. Losing weight can really help the symptoms of sleep apnea and it will also help your body to remain health if you keep active. Another affective sleep apnea treatment in mild to moderate cases is simply to invest in a special pillow which will keep you sleeping on your side. This is because most attacks of sleep apnea happen when you are lying on your back and your airway closes, but if you invest in one of these pillows then it should help to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea dramatically so that you and your partner can sleep soundly.
Perhaps a more radical sleep apnea treatment is learning to play the didgeridoo. In 2005 a study was carried out on
sufferers of sleep apnea and snoring and it was
found that playing and learning the didgeridoo
helped to reduce the effects of these conditions.
It was found that it helped to strengthen
muscles in the upper airway so that they were
less likely to collapse during sleep it was also
proven in this study that it could help to stop daytime sleepiness as well. So you not only get to learn a new and fun instrument, but you will be treating your sleep disorder as well!
Sleep Apnea Treatment: Severe Cases
If you suffer, or think that you might be suffering from sleep apnea then you might be wondering why type of sleep apnea treatment is best for you. There are many different types of treatments which can help with this sleep disorder which causes the sufferer to stop breathing on and off during sleep, but the treatment all depends on how severe each case is. A lot of sleep apnea sufferers tend to have very mild symptoms and will not even realize that it is happening to them, they might just feel a little tired in the morning from waking themselves up during the night, but in more severe cases sleep apnea can lead to a lot of complications.
This is why sleep apnea treatment is very important. One form of treatment for this disorder which has been proven to be one of the best forms of Treatment of Sleep Apnea Page 16 of 49
treatment is the CPAP device. This is a device which the sufferer will wear during the night and it helps to keep the airways open and it will assist the sufferer in inhaling. Also available is the BiPAP device which does the same thing but it also helps you to exhale as well as to inhale. These two devices have been proven to be very effective in sleep apnea treatment, but it is not for everyone it all depends on your particular view.
Another device which has been proven to help treat sleep apnea is Oral Appliance Therapy or OAT as it is more commonly known. This is available from dentists who specialize in treating sleep disorders and it is a mouth piece which is custom made to fit each individual. Worn during the night, the OAT device helps to lower the bottom jaw so that airways stay open during sleep. This sleep apnea treatment is brilliant and it is a great way of treating the symptoms, however if you are suffering from a very severe cause of sleep apnea, then you might wish to try surgery.
Surgery for the treatment of this disorder is usually only done if you have already tried and exhausted all other treatments, or if you are suffering from a very severe case in which you are hardly sleeping at all. Surgery for the treatment of sleep apnea can vary from case to case, but the most common form of surgery includes the correction of the nasal passages and the throat.
In more serious cases, sometimes the facial skeleton will be altered by a technique called maxillo mandibular advancement (See below for more info)
in which the upper and lower jaw will be altered. This is usually only explored if other surgery has failed.
If you want to find out more information on the options available to you, then it is advised that you speak to your general physician who will be able to advise you on the best course of treatments and action. You can also find out more information about sleep apnea and treatments in the Resources section at the end.
Mandibular Appliance
When it comes to sleep apnea treatment, there are over 70 types of oral appliances which have been designed to treat this sleep disorder. As well as oral appliances, other forms of treatment for sleep apnea include surgery, medication such as Acetazolamide which helps to lower the pH level in the Treatment of Sleep Apnea Page 17 of 49
blood and in turn encourages respiration and low doses of oxygen during the night as well. There are so many different treatments available that it can be difficult to know which type of treatment is the best one for you. It all depends on the severity of the case and treatment is usually different in each person, it all depends on your individual needs.
One such sleep apnea treatment is by using the mandibular repositioning appliance. This treatment has been specifically designed to move the lower jaw down and forward when the mouth remains closed during sleep. In most cases of sufferers using this type of sleep apnea treatment it has been proven that the airways remain open to stop the
effects of sleep apnea. Most of these mandibular
appliances tend to have an upper and lower
compartment and these are attached to one
another by elastic of a type of screw like
retaining device. Some of these appliances
come with upper and lower compartments and
some only come with an upper compartment.
Some of these appliances with no elastics or
screws have actually been proven to stimulate
the bone growth in the jaw which can eventually
lead to a permanent change in the bite. However, even though there are downsides to using this device for sleep apnea treatment, there are some major upsides as well. Because it can help to keep the airway open during the night, it could end up getting rid of your symptoms of sleep apnea altogether.
If you don’t like the idea of the mandibular repositioning appliance, then there is another similar device which can have the same type of affects as the mandibular appliance which is called Oral Appliance Therapy or OAT. This therapy can be custom made by any dentist specializing in helping to treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders and it is custom made to fit your mouth only. It helps to push out the jaw so that when you are asleep it opens up the airways so that it limits the effects of sleep apnea.
You can find out more information about the Mandibular Repositioning appliance and the OAT from your dentist or your physician who will be able to Treatment of Sleep Apnea Page 18 of 49
advise you on the best sleep apnea treatment to suit your specific needs. You can also find more information on sleep apnea and how to treat it on the internet so that you are able to understand the disorder more if you are a sufferer or have a loved one who might be suffering from sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatment: Surgery
Sometimes, cases of sleep apnea can be quite severe and non-surgical methods have been tried and tested. If you are suffering with a severe case of this disorder, then you might be wondering what options you have left.
Well, there is no need to despair because if you find that other treatments have failed to work then surgical methods can be used to alter the airway.
With this type of sleep apnea treatment, levels of obstruction will be addressed such as the throat and nasal passages, the facial skeleton and the base of the tongue.
Surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is usually not done unless other treatments have failed or you are unable or choose not to use other treatments.