Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea treatment must be followed after a careful examination by a doctor. Like most sleeping disorders, treatment can only be suggested by first knowing all the influencing factors. If have a mild case of sleep apnea, you are first recommended to do some changes in your lifestyle such as quitting smoking and losing weight (let's remember that the risk factors of sleep apnea increase with excess weight).

But, if the symptoms are severe, doctor will need to use other treatments to avoid further complications.

Oral Appliances as a Sleep Apnea Treatment

There are certain products aimed at keeping your throat open, these products are very easy to use. Because of the great variety on oral appliances, you will need to try some for yourself and determine which one works better for you, to find them talk to a dentist.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

These treatment is also known as CPAP or “sleep apnea machine”. This is a machine that delivers air pressure while you sleep. It helps you keeping your airway open and relieve sleep apnea and snoring.

This method is more effective than oral appliances, yet – with reason – most people find it uncomfortable. It can take you some time to fully adapt to the use of a sleep apnea machine. Usually a doctor will help you graduate the setting until you find what is right for you.

Sleep Apnea Surgery

Surgery is also used as a treatment for sleep apena. Its main goal is to help clearing the air passages by removing excess tissue on the nose or throat. Among the surgical options you can find:

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
Maxillomandibular Advancement
Tracheostomy

Central Sleep Apnea Treatments

The mentioned treatments are used for sleep apnea in general and for OSA, but if you suffer from central sleep apnea, you could find other options such as the use of supplemental oxygen, bilevel PAP and the treatment of associated conditions.