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.

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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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Of all sleep disorders, sleep apnea is one of the most serious. When you stop breathing during your sleep, it may result in less oxygen in your blood. Over time, this lack of oxygen can lead to serious health problems. Besides persistent sleepiness, apneas can lead to depression, diabetes and even death.
There are several sleep apnea treatment methods available to deal with mild, moderate and severe cases of the disorder. The first step toward a healthier life and a better night of sleep is reading this article for more information on treating sleep apnea.
There are four basic approaches to apnea treatment, and they can be used in conjunction with one another. The simplest method involves changing the circumstances which may be causing the condition. The patient is advised to lose weight, quit smoking, avoid alcohol and sedative drugs, have a regular sleep schedule and try to sleep only on their side.
The most common treatment option is using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) in the upper airway to support and hold the airway open. This involves wearing a CPAP mask over the nose.
The mask provides a supply of continuously flowing air via a flexible plastic hose from a CPAP machine. Studies have shown that when patients use CPAP, they not only slept better and were more alert during the day, but there were significant improvements in the size, shape and pumping action of their hearts.
The third apnea treatment option is the use of a dental splint to prevent the jaw and tongue from moving back and narrowing the airway. However, oral devices have not proved to be as effective as CPAP and the appliances can be uncomfortable. The fourth and most extreme form of treatment is surgery.
This kind of procedure involves removal of the part of the soft palate that hangs down in the back of the throat, as well as the tonsils if present, and other soft tissue if it is felt to be excessive. This procedure is usually reserved for patients with severe sleep apnea.
The toughest challenge in treating sleep apnea is getting the patient to comply. Because they often find the CPAP device cumbersome, many patients do not use it consistently or for long enough periods while sleeping. Researchers have found that improvements were maximized after 7.5 hours of use each night.
Patients who actively pursued treatment reported better sleep, fewer morning headaches, a better performance on the job and improved mood. The lifestyle modifications are also a great benefit. Losing weight, drinking in moderation and quitting smoking all improve your overall health.
Along with these methods for treating sleep apnea, there is research being done on other techniques and tools like implants. However, while a number of medical devices and procedures have received FDA clearance, sleep doctors aren’t currently recommending them because there’s not yet enough evidence to support their use. It’s best to go with your doctor’s recommendations and stay informed about advances in treatments becoming available.

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In managing diabetes, track and treat sleep apnea.: An article from: Family Practice News

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- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
- surgery
- dental devices
- sleep apnea pillows
- behavioral therapy
- weight loss (very effective for obese persons with obstructive sleep apnea)
- special exercises

But to have an effective treatment, you should know how severe is your disorder and what are the causes. You can find all these things only through a sleep test.

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