Sleep Apnea Treatments
A Quick Guide To Sleep Apnea Treatments
There are a few different types of sleep apnea treatments, and they largely depend on the severity and cause of the problem. Sleep apnea is a pretty common sleep disorder, affecting an estimated 18 million Americans. The major symptoms of sleep apnea are loud, disruptive snoring and extreme daytime sleepiness.
Sleep apnea stops the sufferer from breathing deeply while they sleep, resulting in shallow breaths and making the person stop breathing for anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute at a time. The snoring is caused by frequent breathing disruptions throughout the night. These wakeups can happen hundreds of times a night, which makes anyone with sleep apnea very sleepy for the entire next day.
Sleep apnea treatments vary from simple lifestyle changes to the extreme of surgery. The first treatment most doctors will begin with is changing certain behaviors. One of the most common contributors to sleeping problems is obesity. If this is determined to be the cause of sleep apnea, weight loss is one of the first things a doctor will suggest. A few studies have proven that weight loss can help to reduce the number of times a person with sleep apnea stops breathing during the night.
Other sleep apnea treatments include actual changes in sleep patterns. Going to bed at the same time every night may help as well as being sure to sleep on the side rather than the back. Alcohol and some sleep medications may contribute to sleep apnea symptoms, so they should be avoided by serious sleep apnea sufferers. Doctors also recommend quitting smoking.
One solution to sleep apnea that has recently grown in popularity is the CPAP breathing system. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure, and it is basically a breathing mask that is used while sleeping. The CPAP mask works to keep the airways open all night so that there are no breathing disruptions. There are other breathing treatments similar to the CPAP that are also used to treat sleep apnea. These types of breathing systems are generally used in chronic cases of sleep apnea.
When lifestyle changes or breathing systems do not work, surgery is a treatment option for people with obstructive sleep apnea where the problem is caused by an airway blockage. Surgery may be done to remove the tonsils, if they are found to be the cause of the problem. Another surgical option includes removing tissue from both the nose and airways to expand the air passages and clear up any blockages. Surgery can even be used to repair problems with bones and tissue in both the mouth and throat.
Surgery is generally only used in extreme cases where the sleep apnea is causing other health problems. Most of the time lifestyle changes and breathing apparatus does a good job alleviating the symptoms of sleep apnea.