Have you been experiencing frequent interruptions in your sleep caused by sleep apnea and are now looking for
What is the Treatment for Sleep Apnea
answers to your question “what is the treatment for sleep apnea”? There are numerous treatments available depending on the type and severity of this disorder but as with all sleep disorders it’s useful to first identify what is causing the problem and once diagnosed, is a step forward in getting the correct treatment.
One of the first tings you can do is to take look at your daily routines and lifestyle habits and consider making some changes. For example, are you overweight, do you smoke, do you drink more alcohol then is recommended? If so, then a few tweaks here and there like losing some weight, quitting smoking and reducing the amount of alcohol you drink could all help reduce the frequency or even stop the occurrence of your sleep apnea for good.
As there are three types of sleep apnea and you need to recognize which one you suffer from and adopt the most suitable treatment. The first and most common type is Obstructive sleep apnea, also known as OSA. The problem here starts whilst you are asleep, the throat muscles start to relax and the fatty tissues around your neck cause a blockage in the airways.
The second type is Central sleep apnea also known as CSA and the symptoms of this are frequent pauses in your breathing whilst you sleep. A partner will probably have made you aware of this interrupted breathing pattern, as you will have been oblivious to it. It is caused by a malfunction in the respiratory control center of your brain, which leads to a disruption of the signals from the brain that controls the regulation of steady breathing.
Thirdly, there is Complex sleep apnea, where sufferers have a mix of symptoms of both OSA and CSA. You may have experienced some of the symptoms of sleep apnea listed below:
- Shortness of breath
- Noisy snoring
- Long pauses in breathing
- Daytime drowsiness
- Thirst on waking
- Dry mouth
- Morning headaches
- Disrupted and intermittent sleep
- Depression or melancholy
- Difficulty concentrating
Other Treatments for Sleep Apnea
One of the treatments for OSA are machine known as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airways Pressure) which is a mask that you place over your face and strap around your head. It is connected to a machine that feeds air under constant pressure and works to keep your airways open. Alternatively, there is also a device called a BIPAP, which is a bi-level adjustable airway pressure device. This automatically adjusts the air pressure whilst you exhale which makes it much easier to exhale for some users.
If you don’t like the thought of having a mask on your face whilst you sleep then there are oral appliances that can be used to treat OSA. You may also want to consider these devises if you suffer from loud snoring as they can be quite effective in stopping it. The devices are designed to keep the throat open by keeping the jaw and tongue in the correct alignment when reclining in bed.
It may be worth considering a simple thing like a specifically designed pillow that will help prevent you from sleeping on your back as the simple act of lying on your back is known to cause conditions like snoring and exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Other treatments include surgery but this is probably a drastic last option and therefore, the final answer to your question what is the treatment for sleep apnea is that you seek the advice of your doctor and to get an official diagnosis so that he/she can prescribe the most suitable sleep apnea treatment to suit you.
