If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, don't worry! There are many different treatments available to choose from.
Some of the treatments for sleep apnea vary depending on if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), or complex sleep apnea. To learn more about the different types of sleep apnea, please click here.
Some Obstructive Sleep Apnea Remedies Include:
Lifestyle Changes
Losing weight, quitting smoking, or allergy treatments may be a good solution for treating mild cases of OSA. Click here to discover other lifestyle changes you can make.
Oral Appliance
Another sleep apnea treatment option is wearing an oral appliance designed to keep your throat open. A CPAP device is more reliably effective than oral appliances, but oral appliances may be easier to use. Some are designed to open your throat by bringing your jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.
Surgery
Surgery is also an option, but is usually reserved for those who have not found an alternative solution. A three-month trial of other treatment options is suggested before considering surgery.
The goal of surgery for sleep apnea is to enlarge the airway through your nose or throat that may be vibrating and causing you to snore or that may be blocking your upper air passages and causing sleep apnea. It is recommended to speak with your doctor about the different surgery options available for those who suffer from sleep apnea.
CPAP Therapy
For moderate to severe cases of OSA, using a continuouspositive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is very beneficial. CPAP machines are the most common and reliable method for treating sleep apnea. To learn more about CPAP machines, click here.
EPAP Therapy
Expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) devices are small, single-use, and are placed over each nostril before you go to sleep. The device is a valve that allows air to move freely in, but when you exhale, air must go through small holes in the valve, which increases pressure in the airway and keeps it open.
The device may help reduce snoring and daytime sleepiness in people with mild obstructive sleep apnea. And it may be an option for some who can't tolerate a CPAP machine.
Treatments for central and complex sleep apnea:
Treatments for Associated Medical Problems
Possible causes of central sleep apnea include heart or neuromuscular disorders, and treating those conditions may help.
Supplemental Oxygen
Various forms of oxygen are available as well as different devices to deliver oxygen to your lungs.
CPAP Therapy
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy.
BiPAP Therapy
BiPAP or Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure is similar to CPAP therapy. However, while CPAP uses continuous air pressure, BiPAP uses a different inhale and exhale pressure.
Adaptive Servo-Ventilation
This more recently approved airflow device learns your normal breathing pattern and stores the information in a built-in computer. After you fall asleep, the machine uses pressure to normalize your breathing pattern and prevent pauses in your breathing. Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) appears to be more successful than other forms of positive airway pressure at treating complex sleep apnea in some people.
Source: Mayo Clinic. Sleep Apnea: Diseases and Conditions
