A Sleep Apnea Patients Guide to Sleep Apnea Treatments that Work

Now that you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea, its natural and logical for you to wonder about sleep apnea treatments that have produced the best results.
This is another are where your sleep specialist can be especially helpful to you. Depending on the type of sleep apnea you have and the severity of it, your doctor can offer you one of many options. The sleep specialist may recommend CPAP,\ a dental device, surgery or something as simple as weight loss. In this article, you will discover the various treatment options for sleep apnea patients.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP Machine

Continuous positive airway pressure, which is the most common effective sleep apnea treatment, provides you with constant and continuous pressure from an
air blower through your nose. With the CPAP machine, you wear a mask that fits over your nose while you sleep. The mask is sized and designed to fit your nose comfortably. The air pressure is enough to keep your airway open, so you're able to continue breathing. The air pressure is adjustable, but will be pre-set based upon your doctor's recommendation.

In order to get the most from this particular therapy, you will have to learn how to use the machine properly. Initially it will present a challenge because it will take some time getting used to sleeping with the CPAP. It may take 2 or 3 weeks to adjust to sleeping with it. Don't get discouraged. Continue to use it; if you fail to do so, your sleep apnea may become worse.

Dental Appliances

If you have mild sleep apnea, your sleep specialist may recommend a trip to the dentist so that you can be fitted with a dental device that is similar to a mouth guard. The appliance helps your airway stay open by moving your jaw forward.

Surgery

For some sleep apnea patients, continuous positive airway pressure or dental devices might be the most effective therapy; therefore, your doctor may recommend that you have surgery. Removing the Adenoids and Tonsillectomy are common surgical procedures to treat sleep apnea. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is is used to remove the excess tissue in the back of your throat. Another type of surgery, Uvulopalatoplasy, also removes the tissue at the back of the throat. The procedure is primarily used to eliminate snoring, but it may prove effective in treating your sleep apnea. In instances of severe sleep apnea, a Tracheotomy may be performed to allow air to flow freely and directly into your lungs while you sleep.

Before you agree to any surgery to treat your sleep apnea, you should understand that none of the procedures may be completely successful. It is quite possible that you may need more than one surgery. Additionally, younger sleep apnea patients seem to derive more benefits from surgery than older patients.

Lose Weight

If you're overweight or are considered obese on the body mass index, your doctor may recommend that you shed some of that extra weight. Why? Getting rid of 10 percent of your weight may reduce the airway obstruction in your throat, which in turn may reduce the number of apneic events, the times you stop or have a pause in breathing during sleep.

Here are a few closing tips. Whatever you do, don't attempt to medicate yourself by taking sleeping pills. You should also avoid alcohol. Drinking or sleeping pills could make your sleep apnea worse.Be very skeptical of commercial products that claim to cure sleep apnea in an incredibly short time frame.

Whatever sleep apnea treatment the sleep specialist recommends, be sure sure you understand the pros and cons of the doctor's recommendation, as well as other options that may prove effective for the type of sleep apnea that you have.