Sleep Treatment Options For Those Who Can’t Tolerate CPAP
Continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP has been clinically proven to help With CPAP OSA sufferers wear a mask that delivers continuous air that keeps a patients throat muscles and air passages from collapsing thus preventing the snoring and pauses in breathing associated with apnea CPAP is one of the most effective sleep treatment options available Theres just one problem howeversome people cant stand it
One study estimates 30 50 percent of CPAP users dont like the treatment another survey discovered that about half of patients stop using the device within 1 3 weeks of it being prescribed However discomfort shouldnt be a reason an OSA suffer doesnt get help for his or her conditionthe consequences are just too great Other sleep treatment options are available for patients who dislike CPAP and should be explored
Mandibular Advancement Devices
Recent studies have shown that oral appliances as sleep treatment options can be just as effective as CPAP in curbing OSA Mandibular advancement devices or MADs look like a mouth guard a football or hockey player might use When worn MADs push the lower jaw down just enough to redirect breathing through a patients air passages The latest technology allows MADs to be custom designed for a patients mouth to provide the best airflow possible
Tongue Retaining Mouthpieces
Similar in concept to MADs tongue retaining mouthpieces are worn orally and adjust the position of the tongue during sleep Instead of holding the jaw in place however this device is placed on the tip of the users tongue and rests on his lips Besides treating OSA tongue retaining mouthpieces have been shown to help with more kinds of snoring than MADs
Nasal Devices
Nasal devices are among relatively new sleep treatment options for OSA sufferers The shape of these small devices vary by brand but achieve the same goal When placed in the nose they open the nasal passages more and allow a better flow of air that helps prevent snoring and apnea Unfortunately nasal devices dont help if the OSA patient is a primarily a mouth breather
APAP
If apnea sufferers can handle a CPAP mask but are uncomfortable with the continuous air pressure delivered by the device there are sleep treatment options that might be effective alternatives Automatic positive airway pressure or APAP is similar to CPAP except that it can detect when a patient needs more air when apnea is spiking and delivers it only when necessary as opposed to bombarding the sleeper with air all night
ASV
Adaptive servo ventilation ASV uses a mask to deliver air just like CPAP but the device also monitors a patients respiration all night and delivers air as if the patient was breathing while awake ASV continually adjusts all night and is especially effective for central sleep apnea sufferers
If you suspect sleep apnea dont put off exploring your sleep treatment options As part of the sleep study we can objectively measure the effectiveness of oral appliance therapy during the OATx portion of the study Contact the experts at Alaska Sleep Clinic for a free consultation
Have you used CPAP and if so how was your experience
