Everyone wants and deserves a good night sleep. But if you suffer from obstructive sleep apea sometimes the treatment can be worse than the condition itself. The most common treatment involves strapping a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to your face while you sleep. While effective most people would prefer not to use one. Fortunately, for many sleep apnea sufferers, there are alternative treatments to CPAP that can be just as effective.
- Elevating your head at night— Propping up the end of
the bed where you rest your head can help to unblock the airways during
sleep making it easier for you to breath.
- Managing Your Weight —
Obesity is a major contributing factor to sleep apnea. Fat deposits can fill
throat tissue blocking your airway. Just a 10% loss in weight has been
shown to decrease sleep apnea symptoms.
- Decongestants —
Using a nasal decongestant can temporarily reduce nasal swelling and
improve your breathing at night.
- Avoid
Alcohol — Avoid the night cap before
bedtime
If those suggestions are not enough
there is an alternative therapy called dental appliance
therapy. A dental appliance most
closely resembles a mouth guard that you may have used when playing sports or
an orthodontics guard you might have used if you needed braces. The purpose of
the appliance is to slightly adjust the angle of your jaw so that the soft
tissue in the back of your throat can't collapse thereby eliminating the cause
of the obstruction.
The appliance itself is custom designed
based on a digital x-ray or a physical mold. Your doctor will carefully adjust
the appliance to ensure both
comfort and the desired results are achieved. Once the appliance is ready,
all you have to do is install it like a mouth guard when you go to sleep.
Why
Choose a Dental Appliance Makes Over CPAP
For decades people with Obstructive
Sleep Apnea had been treated with a CPAP machine. Here's why most patients
now prefer a dental appliance:
- Comfort
— Appliances are natural and comfortable to use. Just
slip it in your mouth and go to sleep. CPAP systems require wearing a mask
connected to a hose.
- Quiet — On average, the person who shares a bed
with a snorer loses at least an hour of sleep per night.
Appliances are silent. CPAP systems are run by an electric motor to pump
air into the mask that creates a noise.
- Convenience
— Appliances are travel-friendly.
There are no special requirements needed. CPAP requires an electrical
connection and space for the pump and hose.
- Effectiveness —There are over a dozen clinical publications demonstrating
the effectiveness of oral appliances (OA) compared to CPAP.
Original Source: https://firstwestondentist.com/fort-lauderdale-sleep-apnea-oral-appliances-vs-CPAP/
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