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5 Sleep Apnea Treatments You Should Know About

March 15, 2023
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People who suffer from sleep apnea stop breathing in their sleep or experience pauses in breathing. Although it can be scary, there are sleep apnea treatments to improve your condition. But can sleep apnea be cured? The answer to that is complicated since treatments and lifestyle changes help manage or reverse the condition. However, there is no cure for sleep apnea.

Does Sleep Apnea Go Away?

According to some studies, certain lifestyle changes and treatments can reduce the intensity of sleep apnea. Professional treatments and surgical options can also reverse sleep apnea. When your upper airway muscles relax during sleep, it could cause obstruction of the airflow. As a result, you do not receive enough air, leading to sleep apnea. Weight loss can help with sleep apnea, but nothing compares to the results of treatment.

A CPAP machine or an oral appliance is often used to treat sleep apnea. Moreover, oral appliance therapy using a device that resembles a mouthguard or retainer to open the airway is also effective. CPAP and oral appliances are worn at night to achieve the desired outcomes. There are also some surgeries that can help reduce the intensity of sleep apnea since they focus on changing a person’s anatomy to theoretically cure the condition. In many cases, though, sleep apnea comes back.

Treatments for Sleep Apnea

Below, you can find a list of professional sleep apnea treatments:

1. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

CPAP treatment involves wearing a mask over your nose or mouth while you sleep. A machine is connected to the mask to deliver continuous airflow into your nose. This helps keep your throat open so you can properly breathe.

2. Bilevel-positive airway pressure (BiPAP)

Similar to CPAP, BiPAP comprises a mask connected to the BiPAP machine. The difference is: with this treatment, airflow changes when you inhale and exhale. Furthermore, it puts air into your lungs by using pressure. Normally, when we breathe, the diaphragm is pushed down, which helps fill our lungs with air. BiPAP helps you breathe this way if you have sleep apnea. Keep in mind, though, that this treatment is not right for everyone. Therefore, consult your specialist if you experience any difficulties due to this treatment.

3. Automatic positive airway pressure (APAP)

If a CPAP machine doesn’t work for you, the doctor might suggest APAP treatment. This treatment helps open your airways during sleep, making sure nothing can obstruct it. Unlike CPAP machines, the APAP machine adjusts the pressure it provides you as you sleep depending on your needs.

4. Surgery

In some cases, CPAP and other oral appliances fail to work. Or, perhaps, you have a narrow throat due to medical issues such as enlarged tonsils, overbite with a small jaw, and more. In such instances, surgery based on your condition is recommended to improve your condition. The specialist will perform some tests to see which treatment works best for you.

5. Lifestyle Changes
Mild lifestyle change also significantly improves the symptoms of sleep apnea. Therefore, your doctor might tell you to:

  • Lose weight
  • Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills
  • Change sleeping positions
  • Refrain from smoking
  • Treat allergies

What’s Next?

In short, sleep apnea cannot be cured, but there are effective treatments that lead to significant improvement in the condition. You will need to consult a professional to treat your sleep apnea. Village Park Family Dental is here to help you with your sleep apnea and any oral health issues. Visit us now at 12617 Louetta Rd Suite #204 Cypress, TX, 77429. Or, you can schedule an appointment at (281) 376-4444.

Disclaimer – Use At Your Own Risk: The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as advice for any individual case or situation. We will not be liable for any losses or damages in connection with the use of the information from these blogs. All blogs are meant to be educational. We advise always consulting with a professional before attempting anything written in a blog. We can not guarantee all of the services that we write about in our blogs. Any attempt to perform anything written in a blog can result in serious injury or fatality without expert guidance and oversight.

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