Sleep Apnea Treatment Methods
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that millions of Americans suffer from. The good news is that it is treatable and treatment goals include restoring regular breathing rhythms during sleep and relieving associated symptoms such as daytime sleepiness and snoring. sleep apnea treatments sometimes help manage other diseases and can also reduce risks of heart disease and diabetes. There are several recommended treatment options in treating the condition. They include mouthpieces, lifestyle changes, breathing devices and sometimes surgery. There is no medicine currently available that can be used to treat sleep apnea.
Changing routine habits sometimes help eliminate the symptoms of sleep apnea. Avoiding alcohol and sleep medication is one solution. If a person is overweight, losing some pounds will sometimes improve symptoms. Sleeping on the side, rather than the stomach, is often helpful. Other lifestyle changes that can be tried are using nasal sprays and allergy medicines and stopping smoking has proven effective in reducing sleep apnea symptoms.
Using a mouthpiece has been beneficial in reducing mild sleep apnea. It also has had a positive affect on people who have a tendency to snore at night. Mouthpieces can be custom made by dentists or orthodontists. They are made to adjust to the lower jaw and tongue so that airways remain open during sleeping periods.
One of the most common treatments for sleep apnea is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). A mask is made to fit over the nose and mouth and it gently blows air into the throat during sleep. The air pressure is what keeps airways from becoming narrowed or blocked. Breathing devices such as CPAP are set up according to doctor’s orders and may need to be adjusted occasionally.
The final sleep apnea treatment option is surgery. The surgery itself tends to effective in only certain sleep apnea conditions. Its purpose is to widen breathing passages and this is done by removing or shrinking excess mouth or throat tissue or by resetting the lower jaw. This surgery can usually be done in the doctor’s office or in an outpatient hospital or clinic. Shrinking tissue may simply involve a series of injections and no actual surgery will have to be done. Hospitalization and surgery is required if tissue has to be removed. The patient is given a general anesthetic and will experience minor throat pain for a few days.