Sleep apnea is not a disease but a disorder that is characterised by difficulties in breathing. This results in lack of sleep for the victim. There are different types of sleep apnea treatments available to the affected individuals. These treatment options range from home remedies or behavior changes to nonsurgical and surgical options. However, each treatment option is administered to the affected person depending on the severity of his or her problem.
Home remedies/behavior changes:
These include things you can do yourself in order to ease the impact of sleep apnea on your body. Again, this form of treatment is applicable in the instances where the disorder is not severe, meaning the disorder is mild or moderate.
Home remedies/behavior changes that can be used involve lifestyle changes which include:
Loss of weight:
Various researches show that loss of excess weight can completely correct mild to moderate disorder among obese people. In fact, even a slight weight loss can help in opening the throat of the affected person thus improving symptoms.
Quitting smoking:
Smoking is known to cause sleep apnea by increasing inflammation and fluids retention in the throat plus the upper airway. Thus, quitting smoking can go a long way in easing the effects of the disorder. Other home remedies and behavioural changes that can act as sleep apnea treatments include avoiding alcohol, sedatives and sleeping pills especially before bedtime since they make the throat muscles relax and thus interfering with the breathing mechanisms. Additionally, you should avoid heavy meals and caffeine within one hour of going to sleep.
Nonsurgical options available for sleep apnea treatment include:
Continuous positive airway pressure:
This type of nonsurgical option is administered to patients who have moderate sleep apnea. However, most people find this method rather cumbersome and uncomfortable since it involves a machine that generates air pressure through a mask that is placed over the patient's nose while the patient is asleep. The generated air pressure is put slightly above the surrounding air, thus it helps in keeping the patient's upper airways passages open in order to prevent apnea and snoring. It is important to contact your doctor if you use this treatment and still continue to snore.
Adjustable airway pressure devices:
If the above option is not working, this type of treatment is applied to the patient. The pressure device routinely adjusts the pressure when the patient is asleep.
Oral appliance:
This is another nonsurgical treatment option available. The oral appliance is placed in the patient's throat to keep it open. The oral appliances are easy to use and they are used to open the patient's throat by bringing their jaw forward, thus relieving mild obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. Supplemental oxygen is another nonsurgical treatment option available to victims. The supplemental oxygen is used in instance where a patient has central sleep apnea. It is important to know that there are different forms of oxygen available as well as various devices that are used to administer oxygen in the patient's lungs.
Surgery:
This treatment option is considered to be the last option for treating the disorder when all other options have failed. The main aim of surgery is to remove excessive tissues from the patient's throat or noise that may be vibrating thus causing the patient to snore. Also, surgery removes the tissues that may be blocking the upper air passages thus causing the condition.
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Sleep Apnea
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