Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea

The treatment of sleep apnea has progressed in leaps and bounds over the last few years. If you have been treated for sleep apnea in the past and it hasn’t worked for you (or even if it has), it might be beneficial for you to explore the new options available as these could make you more comfortable and therefore more compliant resulting in more effective ongoing treatment of your condition and improved symptom relief.

Positive Airway Pressure (PAP)

Positive Airflow Pressure (PAP) is the gold standard and most common treatment for patients with sleep apnea. PAP works by blowing a gentle splint of pressure into the airway through a mask. This stops the soft tissues from collapsing during sleep therefore preventing a person from having apneas. Most patients feel relief from their symptoms within the first few days of treatment.

PAP treatment comprise of usually of four components;

  1. The PAP device - a device which blows a gentle stream of pressure into your airway which helps keep it open. There are two types of devices
    • The first is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) which blows air at a continuous pressure. This pressure is set the highest level that the patient would need throughout the night. This pressure blows constantly throughout the night.
    • The second is an APAP (Auto-titrating Positive Airway Pressure) which automatically increases and decreased the pressure depending on the patients needs. Patients generally find this type of treatment more comfortable.  
  2. The mask - this is used to deliver the air from the device. They come in many different types and style. The mask is the most important factor of comfortable treatment.
  3. Humidifier - Adds moisture to the air so that treatment is more comfortable
  4. Tubing - carries the air between the device / humidifier to the mask; can be heated to reduce condensation

Other treatments for sleep apnea

In addition to PAP, there are other treatments that a sleep specialist may recommend. These include:

Dental devices for sleep apnea

Mandibular Advancement Splints (MAS) are dental devices which work by pushing your lower jaw forward to increase the opening of your airway. The device is generally custom made and fitted by a specialised dentist. MAS may be recommended to patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

Surgery as treatment for sleep apnea

You may have heard of some people having surgery for their sleep apnea in the past. This is not a common treatment option nowadays as there have been advancements in other non invasive treatments options that are often more effective than surgical options.

Surgery may, however, still be an option for some adults with sleep apnea. Surgery may include the removal of tonsils, adenoids, uvula and other soft issues. As with any surgery, these types of surgeries carry the risk of complications and infections.

 
 
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