According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine AASM, you should have at least more than seven hours of sleep every night. If you often feel exhausted and sleepy during the day despite sleeping for recommended hours, that may indicate you need to visit your doctor to check if you have sleep apnea Surprise. The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that about 22 million Americans have sleep apnea. A study by AASM also shows that you may be at high risk of sleep apnea if you are a man aged 40 and above.
Sleep apnea is a common disorder characterized by frequent starting and stopping of breathing as you sleep. That happens because different issues may be causing your airways to become too narrow, making it difficult to breathe properly.
You may be at high risk of sleep apnea if you are obese, have a family history of the medical condition, sleep on your back, have large tonsils, or have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Apart from breathing interruptions reducing the quality of your sleep, they may also lead to other complications without treatment. Sleep apnea may make you susceptible to a car accident because of falling asleep while driving.
Also, numerous studies suggest sleep apnea may help trigger impaired memory and concentration, mood swings, pulmonary hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases such as abnormal heartbeat, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Consequently, below are the treatment options your doctor may recommend if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea.
- Lifestyle changes
Your doctor may advise you to make various lifestyle changes to help ease sleep apnea symptoms. Healthy lifestyle changes include stopping smoking, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, exercising frequently, sleeping on your side, and avoiding alcohol consumption.
For instance, side sleeping can help your airways stay open, relieving sleep apnea symptoms.
Cigarettes contain various harmful chemicals that can cause inflammation of your airways. An inflamed airway becomes narrow, causing sleep apnea and snoring.
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy
A CPAP device or machine exposes your airways to mild air pressure to keep them open, and thus the treatment is suitable if you have breathing difficulties during sleep. The CPAP machine ensures that your airway does not collapse as you sleep.
CPAP therapy involves a mask covering your nose only or nose and mouth and a tube connecting the nose covering to the machine’s motor.
The CPAP device has a motor for blowing air into the tube.
However, CPAP therapy may come with side effects such as nasal congestion.
- Oral devices for sleep apnea
The dental devices your doctor may recommend for treating sleep apnea are Mandibular advancement devices, mouth guards, and tongue-retaining devices.
Also called a mandibular repositioning device, a mandibular advancement device can temporarily help move your jaw and tongue forward. That minimizes the collapsing of your throat muscles and the constriction of your airways, which relieves sleep apnea symptoms.
- Surgery
You may undergo surgery to fix a nasal problem, widen your airways, or fix facial issues blocking your throat.
You should observe sleep apnea self-care. That may involve performing dental exercises, using a humidifier, avoiding particular prescriptions, and practicing breathing exercises.
Contact Oasis Ear, Nose, and Throat today to schedule an appointment with a sleep apnea specialist.
