Treatment Possibilities For Sleep Apnea Article

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Treatment Possibilities for Sleep Apnea

In short, sleep apnea is a disorder that affects millions of Americans. During sleep, the tongue and throat tissue completely relax blocking the airway. Loud snoring may be a sign of this. Fortunately, there are a host of treatment options.

Author: Paula Blackburn

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A knowledgeable sleep apnea dentist can help anyone who suffers from sleep apnea go through all of the treatment options and guide them towards the one that is most ideal. One of the easiest and least invasive treatments could merely be a change in diet and starting a weight-loss program.

Additional Behavioral Therapies-

Before resorting to any of the appliances or surgical options, a dentist may urge you to change your routine somewhat because even slight alterations have a significant impact. Some options are:

• Reduce consumption of alcohol, and avoid drinking alcohol three hours prior to bedtime.
• Smoking increases the effects of sleep apnea
• Increase the amount of sleep you usually get by going to bed earlier
• Pillows can help elevate one’s head, which is a big help to some sleep apnea sufferers
• Eat well-balanced meals, but avoid eating them close to bedtime

Oral Appliance Therapy-

Oral appliances keep tissue from sliding into the throat during the night, and are custom-made. A few FDA-approved options are:

• Thornton Adjustable Positioner: keeps the airway open through a form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. TAP is one of the most comfortable options.
• SomnoMed MAS: this is comprised of an upper and lower dental plate and can be adjustable. One can talk and drink while wearing it.
• Tongue Retaining Device (TRD): holds the tongue in the forward part of the wearer’s mouth.

CPAP
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP, utilizes a type of mask that pumps air through the wearer’s nasal passages during the night. The goal is to keep the airways open and keep any tissue from sliding back into the throat.

Surgery
This may be the best option for some, and the different procedures offer the best chances at permanently alleviating the effects of sleep apnea. All surgeries share the same goal in that they aim to increase the size of a person’s airway. This facilitates easier breathing during the night. A few surgical options are: Tracheotomy, Laser Assisted UP and Tongue Reduction Surgery.

About Author

All of this is just a glimpse into the potential treatments for sleep apnea sufferers. To learn more, please visit the website of Dr. Ira Shapira, a Gurnee, Illinois dentist with years of experience combating sleep apnea.

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Treatment Possibilities for Sleep Apnea