The ABCs to Treat Sleep Apnea
Written by admin on August 9, 2010 – 8:52 pm -There are many ways to treat sleep apnea from lifestyle changes and alternative remedies to medical regimens and surgical options. All these can seem so confusing to a sleep apnea patient who was just recently diagnosed. Fortunately, you can narrow first line defenses of sleep apnea treatments into ABCs.
Appliances – Oral, That Is
There are oral appliances prescribed by either your doctor or your dentist, which are engineered to keep the throat open especially during sleep. Usually, these are designed to bring your jaw forward, hence, opening your throat.
As such, these oral appliances relieve mild sleep apnea and its number one problem – snoring. You will have to regularly consult with your doctor – at least once every six months – to determine if your oral appliance is a good fit and to reassess your condition.
Take note, however, that oral appliances are not as effective as CPAP therapy to treat sleep apnea. Still, it has its advantages like ease of use and discreet installation so you might want to discuss it more thoroughly with your physician.
Bad Habits, Goodbye
To help treat sleep apnea, you will be asked to adapt lifestyle changes (read: say goodbye to your bad habits). These will include:
* Lose excess weight so as to relieve throat constrictions. Of course, it does help that your double chin is not getting in the way of securely strapping the CPAP mask unto your face. Discuss with your doctor ways to achieve healthy weight loss as you don’t want to compound your sleep problems with other health difficulties.
* Avoid alcohol and cigarettes. These bad habits significantly contribute to sleep apnea, not to mention lead to other health problems.
* Abstain from using tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Your throat muscles become relaxed due to these medications, which causes interference with your breathing even when you are on a CPAP machine.
These lifestyle changes alone will not treat sleep apnea, admittedly, but these will contribute to your better health. In turn, you are able to face the challenges of living with the sleep disorder as well as in lessening your risks for heart diseases.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
This is the most important component in the non-surgical options in the treatment of sleep apnea. A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine delivers controlled amounts of air pressure through a mask positioned over your nose as you sleep. It helps to keep your airway passages open, hence, preventing sleep apnea as well as snoring.
You may find the CPAP method as the most inconvenient way to treat sleep apnea due to the unwieldy mask and machine. Indeed, it takes some getting used to but it must be done.
Keep in mind that once you stop using the CPAP machine, your symptoms will return and maybe even return with a vengeance. With sleep apnea, you just can’t let your guard down because that shaky breath might very well be your last breath on Earth.
This is not to scare you or anything like that. Instead, you must realize that as difficult as it can be, you must treat sleep apnea if you want to enjoy a longer, healthier and happier life.
CPAP Clinic – healthcare at your home
We serve Greater Toronto Area in Canada.
Contact: 1-877-430-CPAP(2727) or info@CPAPClinic.ca
For high quality replacement parts in Toronto visit www.CPAPClinic.ca. They also offer just the right CPAP machine in Toronto for you. So, if you want to treat sleep apnea in Toronto visit them today!
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What to Expect from a Visit with a Sleep Specialist
Written by admin on February 21, 2010 – 8:56 pm -
What to Expect from a Visit with a Sleep Specialist. How do you know wether you may have an inderlying condition, or just trouble sleeping…Expert advice from Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Sleep Medicine Expert, Dr. Colleen Lance www.memorialhermann.org
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What Is The Cost To Treat Sleep Apnea?
Written by admin on February 19, 2010 – 8:54 pm -
cpap.apnea-treatment.com “Southern California Sleep Apnea Expert Dr. Jonathan Greenburg discusses sleep apnea treatment options that reduce the risks associated with Sleep Apnea.”
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How to Treat Sleep Apnea
Written by admin on February 18, 2010 – 3:56 pm -The most common kind of sleep apnea is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Sleep apnea means “cessation of breath.” It is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. In other words, the airway becomes obstructed at several possible sites. The upper airway can be obstructed by excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, and a large tongue and usually includes the airway muscles relaxing and collapsing when asleep. Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages.
Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by a reduction or cessation (pause of breathing, airflow) during sleep. It is common among adults but rare among children. There are two types of sleep apnea, the more common obstructive sleep apnea and the less common central sleep apnea, both of which will be described later in this article.
Behavioral changes
Behavioral changes are an important part of the treatment program, and in mild cases behavioral therapy may be all that is needed. The individual should avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco, and sleeping pills, which make the airway more likely to collapse during sleep and prolong the apneic periods. Overweight persons can benefit from losing weight. Even a 10 percent weight loss can reduce the number of apneic events for most patients. In some patients with mild sleep apnea, breathing pauses occur only when they sleep on their backs. In such cases, using pillows and other devices that help them sleep in a side position is often helpful.
Weight loss
Sleep apnea can be weight-related. Additional fat around the neck may make the airway narrower, making obstructions more likely to occur. For some overweight people, especially those with mild cases, losing weight can be an effective treatment. Or weight loss may reduce the severity of the sleep apnea. However, it may be hard to lose weight when you have untreated sleep apnea: you may be too tired to exercise and you may eat to stay awake. Also, it may take some time before the weight loss is achieved, so in light of the potential consequences of untreated OSA, using another treatment option while working towards the weight loss goal may be an option.
Pressure requirements
The optimal pressure to use in CPAP therapy is determined in a sleep laboratory study, during which the degree of apnea is monitored with various mask adjustments and increasing levels of air pressure. Pressures are measured in centimeters of water and can vary from 3 to 20 cm, with most patients requiring 6 to 12 cm of pressure to reduce their respiratory disturbance index to fewer than 10 events per hour.
Sleep on your side
People who experience sleep apnea only when they sleep on their backs can benefit from special pillows or folk remedies that encourage side-sleeping, such as the “tennis ball trick” (putting a tennis ball under you to make back-sleeping uncomfortable).
Pulse oximetry
Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method which allows health care providers to monitor the oxygenation of a patient’s blood. A sensor is placed on a relatively thin part of the patient’s anatomy, usually a fingertip or earlobe, and red and infrared light is passed from one side to the other. Based upon the ratio of absorption of the red and infrared light caused by the difference in color between oxygen-bound (red) and unbound (blue) hemoglobin in the capillary bed, an approximation of oxygena.
Oral appliances
Another option is wearing an oral appliance designed to keep your throat open. CPAP is more effective than oral appliances, but oral appliances may be easier for you to use. Some are designed to open your throat by bringing your jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.
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