Sleep Apnea Treatment Methods

You may be feeling tired or sluggish throughout the day no matter how much you sleep.  If that’s the case then you may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start which affects your breathing patterns and oxygen levels. Symptoms include loud snoring, episodes when you stop breathing during sleep, gasping for air during sleep, difficulty paying attention while awake and irritability. The main types of sleep apnea are obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea syndrome. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea which occurs when throat muscles relax. These muscles support the soft palate, the tonsils and the tongue. When the muscles relax it will cause you to not get enough air while sleeping.

Sleep Apnea Treatment & Diagnosis

When you go to see a doctor they will make an evaluation based on your symptoms and order a sleep study test. Once the results from your tests are available the doctor will advise you on which sleep apnea treatment is best for your case. For milder cases of sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend losing weight or if you are a smoker to quit. If you have enlarged tonsils that could also be a factor to sleep apnea. If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea and you stop breathing frequently during sleep then a cpap machine/cpap therapy can be helpful for you. With the cpap machine it works to keep your upper airway passages opened just enough to prevent snoring. Some people may feel that the cpap machine is uncomfortable but with practice you will learn to adjust to it.

Other treatment options include BPAP, which is similar to a cpap machine or using oral appliances that are designed to keep your throat and airway opened. They are designed to keep your mouth opened by bringing your jaw forward, which can relieve some snoring. There are many options for sleep apnea treatment and you may need to try a few different methods to find the right one for you.

Sleep Apnea Treatment From All About Sleep

Are you suffering and need help with a sleep apnea treatment? At All About Sleep we are committed to helping you and finding the right treatment for you. We will take the time to educate you on all the options that can best work for you. To learn more, contact our office today at (734) 259-6633 or visit us online.