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Apnea Treatments Explained |
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Snoring is a habit that poses little threat (unless you consider the overtired person trying to sleep next to you). Sleep apnea, on the other hand, is a dangerous condition that can lead to very serious health risks.
Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. For this reason, it's extremely important to seek medical advice if expect that you, or someone you know, suffers with sleep apnea.
Treatments are available and should be explored before real damage is caused.
Several apnea treatments are available for the varying degrees of the condition:
Mild Sleep Apnea Treatments
For those plagued by mild cases of sleep apnea, there are some simple recommendations that can usually help the condition:
* Overweight individuals are encouraged to drop those excess pounds. The reason for this is that the fatty deposits in the neck can actually be responsible for causing an obstruction in the airway.
* Some sleep apnea sufferers only face the condition while positioned to sleep on their backs. For these patients, it's recommended that they find a way to stay sleeping on their sides. A tennis ball placed inside a sock and sewn to the back of pajamas is an easy solution. When rolling on to the back, the tennis ball causes discomfort and causes the sleeper to roll back on the side.
* Mouthpieces are available that can help in certain cases. There are mouthpieces designed to bring the jaw forward, elevate the soft palate, and keep the tongue from rolling back in the mouth. Each of these designs helps in keeping the airway free of obstructions.
Moderate Sleep Apnea Treatments
Some common treatments for moderate cases of sleep apnea are as follows:
* The CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure system, is a widely used method of treating moderate sleep apnea. This device is worn as a mask, and provides a steady stream of oxygen while you sleep. This continuous flow keeps the airways open all night long.
* The BiPAP is a similar device. This system features two different airflows, blowing oxygen at two different pressures. This allows for a variance in air pressure while inhaling, and while exhaling.
Severe Sleep Apnea Treatments
When alternative methods such as continuous positive airway pressure have failed, and for severe cases of apnea, surgery is suggested. Medical procedures such as radio-frequency somnoplasty, tracheostomy, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, mandibular myotomy and laser-assisted uvuloplasty are common surgeries used as severe sleep apnea treatments. The sheer number of different surgical treatments directly reflects the reasons for the apnea itself. All of these surgeries are similar, however, as each is a method of clearing the parts of the airway that become obstructed while sleeping.
To find out if you have sleep apnea, and if so, the degree of severity, your must seek the advice of a trusted health care practitioner. Find a specialist that concentrates his or her efforts in this area. A person highly trained in sleeping disorders will assess your condition and help you find the best treatment option. If surgery is recommended, you should consult another doctor for a second opinion.
Sleep apnea may be a fact of life, but it isn't necessarily something that you're doomed to live with. Exploring apnea treatments today can help you avoid more serious health risks in the future.
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