Sleep Apnea Snoring Treatment Alternatives

Sleep apnea treatment options for mild occurences of sleep apnea involve self-help and behavioral changes. They include slimming down, eliminating alcohol, quitting smoking, stopping taking sleeping pills, sleeping on your side, and getting a quality nights sleep on a regular basis.

For more severe cases of sleep apnea, these self-help options are not appropriate. Several other sleep apnea treatments are available. These include:

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP):

The most prevalent severe sleep apnea treatment is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine (CPAP). A CPAP machine affords airway pressure to a sufferer of sleep apnea. The patient wears a mask-breathing device at bedtime. Pressurized air is provided, which the sleeper breathes in, stopping a collapse of the airway and mitigating apnea episodes and snoring. The CPAP machine supplies constant air pressure irrespective of if the person is taking a breath or expiring.

A CPAP machine is an excellent sleep apnea treatment, but many sufferers have found the breathing mask to be uncomfortable. With the help of recent improvements, CPAP masks are now much more user friendly. Newer CPAP masks come in many styles, affording the opportunity to sleepers to find the mask that works best for them.

Improvements in CPAP sleep apnea treatment also included adjustable air pressure. Bi-level PAP affords an opportunity to the sufferer to swap from high to low air pressure during exhalation. Auto PAP automatically changes air pressure via an internal regulator at fluctuating instead of fixed levels.

Oral Appliances:

Oral appliances, like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer, which fit in a sleeper's mouth, are an effective mode of mild to moderate sleep apnea snoring treatment. These oral appliances assist with keeping the sleeper's throat and airway unobstructed. Many sufferers find the oral appliances easier to use than a CPAP machine, but not as useful. Other oral appliances fit around the head and chin to adjust the lower jaw of the wearer, bringing it forward and relieving snoring and apnea.

Two oral tools that are often used to bring the jaw forward during sleep are the Tongue Retaining Device and the Mandibular Repositioning Device. These utensils are procurable from a dentist who specializes in sleep apnea treatment. Some sleep apnea sufferers find the oral device uncomfortable and suffer jaw problems, nausea, saliva build-up, soreness, and tooth tenderness.

Surgery:

Certain surgeries can remove tissues, tonsils, or adenoids, keeping the airway from being able to close and are an alternative sleep apnea treatment. Surgery may give permanent relief, but there are risks of infection and complications. Depending on the type of sleep apnea, the surgery options for sleep apnea treatment include:

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) - A surgeon removes the tonsils, adenoids, tissue from the back of the mouth, and from the top of the throat.

Maxillomandibular Advancement - A surgeon moves the upper and lower jaw forward, enlarging the space behind the soft palate and tongue.