Treatment for Sleep Apnea

When Pursuing Treatment for Sleep Apnea, it’s best to evaluate the Severity and to consider your Options

Effectively identifying and managing obstructive sleep apnea is important because it can cause a wide array of health risks when left untreated. Comorbidities could include high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac problems, which can quickly escalate to more serious medical conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, or death.

There are many options for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea that you can consider. It’s best to consult with your physician to determine which form of treatment for sleep apnea will work best for you. Some options include:

• CPAP Therapy
• Oral Appliances
• Surgery
• Behavioral Modification

CPAP Therapy

CPAP, also known as continuous positive airway pressure, is the most common and effective treatment for sleep apnea. CPAP is proven to be effective against obstructive sleep apnea regardless of severity, making it the gold standard for treatment and the most recommend treatment option. CPAP machine is small device that provides a gentle flow of positive pressure through a mask that fits over your nose or mouth to keep the airway open during sleep. This allows for normal breathing to occur to maintain a normal sleeping pattern. The pressure delivered to the upper airway is continuous during both inspiration and expiration. The upper airway is prevented from collapsing during sleep and the apneas are treated without surgical intervention. Effectively treating your sleep apnea can improve heart function, hypertension, daytime sleepiness, and enhance your overall quality of life. People suffering from a lack of sleep due to obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to suffer from depression, memory loss, and high anxiety. We offer a wide variety of products that can help you with your treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Contact us for a sleep consultation.

Oral Appliances

There are two recognized categories of oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea, the first of which is the use of a Tongue Retaining Device, and the second which is known as a Mandibular Repositioning Device. Please consult a dentist that specializes in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea for more information.

Surgical Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Depending on the severity of your obstructive sleep apnea, you may want to consider pursuing nasal surgery, somnoplasty, reconstructive surgery, or tracheostomy. It’s best to try CPAP treatment for sleep apnea before taking the surgical approach. Please consult with your Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea for more information.

Behavioral Modification

Behavioral modification is recommended while pursuing any of the above methods of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Choosing a healthy lifestyle will lead to better treatment results. This can include putting yourself on a weight loss program, reducing alcohol consumption or quitting smoking. Positional therapy can reduce the overall incidence of apneas during the night. Sleeping laterally minimizes the collapse of the upper airway to the back of the throat, allowing the airways to stay open.