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Sleep Apnea Treatment Options |
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Wednesday, 09 May 2007 |
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There are a variety of effective sleep apnea treatments, depending on an individual’s medical history and the severity of the disorder. The specific cause of the obstruction causing sleep apnea is also a factor in tailoring treatment, but there is hope for all sleep apnea sufferers that some combination of treatments will relieve their symptoms.
Most children with obstructive sleep apnea have the disorder because they have chronically enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Sleep apnea treatment for this type of case includes a tonsillectomy that will often cure the problem. Sleep apnea treatment for obstructive apnea in adults is varied and less direct than the treatment for most children. Reliable cures are not the rule when dealing with sleep apnea, and many patients have to try several sleep apnea treatments to find the right one for them.Some sleep apnea treatments involve lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol. Other lifestyle treatments include taking medications to relax the central nervous system such as sedatives or muscle relaxants. Losing weight may also be an important sleep apnea treatment, as is quitting smoking. Some people are helped by special pillows or devices that keep them from sleeping on their backs, or oral appliances that keep the airway open during sleep allowing for an unobstructed airway. If these conservative sleep apnea treatments do not help, doctors often recommend continuous positive airway pressure, in which a face mask is attached to a tube and a machine that blows pressurized air into the mask and through the airway to keep it open. There are also surgical procedures that can be used to remove and tighten tissue and widen the airway, but the success rate is not high, so it is a disfavored sleep apnea treatment. Some individuals may need a combination of therapies to successfully treat their sleep apnea. |
