If you find yourself snoring throughout the night and
oftentimes waking up severely tired, you may be suffering from sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person has difficulty
breathing while sleeping, which can sometimes lead to brief cessations of
breathing altogether. These breathing problems can cause the patient to never have
a fully restful sleep, oftentimes leaving them groggy and sluggish throughout
the day.
When considering treatment options
for sleep apnea, there are a variety of ways to alleviate the symptoms, including:
- CPAP device
- Oral appliance therapy
- Surgery
- Behavioral changes
- Positional sleep therapy
- Medications
A very common treatment is the Continuous Positive Airway
Pressure (CPAP) device which is often prescribed for sufferers of sleep apnea.
The CPAP device would involve
you wearing a mask while you sleep that sends air through the nasal passages
using a pressurized system. This keeps air flowing through your airway,
however, it is oftentimes considered uncomfortable.
Oral appliance therapy involves the use of an oral appliance that can
be used to manipulate the jaw so breathing isn't difficult during sleep.
Sometimes medications will be administered in order to alter
hormones that may be involved in the breathing difficulties that arise from
sleep apnea.
Behavioral
therapy can also help to lessen your sleep apnea symptoms. These can
include limiting your alcohol consumption and stopping smoking, as both of these
can contribute to relaxed muscles in the throat.
Positional
sleep therapy can also be integrated as a form of treatment where you
simply train yourself to sleep in positions that do not inhibit your breathing
abilities.
For more information on sleep
apnea treatment, please contact a sleep doctor in your area or call 1-866-727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today.