Treating and Managing Sleep Apnea
An unrestful night’s sleep can cause one to have a not-such-a-good-day the next day. This is because most human beings need a good 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to perform at their optimal best. However, sleep disorders like sleep apnea often do not allow us to have an uninterrupted and peaceful night’s sleep.
If you, or someone you know, suffer from sleep apnea, then getting this condition treated at the earliest is extremely essential, failing which, a number of health issues may soon start affecting your life. After all, a good amount of sleep is one of the keys to a healthy life. Owing to the technology and medicine, today treating and managing sleep apnea has become possible without too much effort. Here are a few treatment options for sleep apnea.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Device (CPAP)
This is a mask that you place over your nose and mouth while you sleep. It helps by blowing air very gently into the airway, in order to help keep it open while you sleep. The CPAP method is known to be one of the most effective ways of treating and managing sleep apnea. However, before you resort to this method, consulting your doctor would be the best idea.
Dental devices
Dental appliances offer another great way of helping with sleep apnea. These devices stop the airway from relaxing and collapsing, by holding your tongue upright and sliding your jaw slightly forward. This helps a patient with sleep apnea breathe easily while he sleeps. However, this therapy is best suited only for those who suffer from mild to moderate sleep apnea and not for those with severe sleep apnea.
Surgery
Surgical therapy is best suited for those people who didn’t find the CPAP or dental device therapy effective. A surgical procedure for sleep apnea removes the extra tissue in your throat that collapses while you sleep and causes your breath to stop. Most surgeries for sleep apnea are simple and minimally invasive. However, depending on your condition, this surgery could also get a little complicated at times.
Weight management program
Many-a-times losing excess weight can also help with treating and managing sleep apnea. Wondering how? Well, the answer is pretty simple! Most of the times, overweight people tend to have thicker necks and extra thick tissue in their throats, which blocks their airway as they sleep. Therefore, losing weight may help with the condition of sleep apnea.
Positional therapy
In this therapy, the person suffering from sleep apnea wears a special belt-like device around their waists when they sleep. This prevents them from sleeping in the supine position (the position where most episodes of sleep apnea occur).
Apart from all of the treatments mentioned above, avoiding smoking and drinking may also help reduce sleep apnea to a great extent. So if you suffer from sleep apnea, make sure you work towards treating this condition without wasting any more time in order to have a more peaceful life.
