|
| Sleep Apnea Remedies | What physical or mechanical treatments can cure sleep apnea?
Physical devices and mechanical therapies are effective in treating many cases of sleep apnea. Treatments for sleep apnea are:
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
• Dental appliances or jaw adjustment devices
• Surgery
• Oxygen administration
Physical and Mechanical Treatments for Sleep Apnea
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
To keep your airway open during sleep, a machine at your bedside blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face.
Very common long-term treatment for severe sleep apnea.
Dental appliances, oral devices, and lower jaw adjustment devices
Open your airway by bringing your lower jaw or your tongue forward during sleep.
Most dental devices are acrylic and fit inside your mouth, much like an athletic mouth guard or orthodontic appliance. Certain others fit around your head and chin to adjust the position of your lower jaw.
Surgery
Increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues.
- The surgeon may remove tonsils, adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose; or the surgeon may reconstruct the jaw.
- The surgeon operates with a scalpel, a laser, or a microwaving probe (radiofrequency energy).
Oxygen administration
A narrow tube runs from an oxygen source to your nose, where the tube ends in small plastic prongs that fit into your nose.
Ensures that you get enough oxygen during sleep.
Rarely used. May be used in conjunction with CPAP.
For treatment of sleep apnea, see a doctor specializing in sleep problems.
- Sleep centers are clinics with such specialists.
For dental devices, find a dentist who specializes in dental sleep medicine.
|
|
