Sleep Apnea Treatments – What Are Your Options

First of all, let’s take a moment and define sleep apnea. Have you ever repeatedly stopped breathing during the night? Well, that’s basically the best definition for sleep apnea – a disorder characterized by a recurrent issue in breathing during your night sleep. While there have been many different caused linked to this particular issue all of them lead to the same problem – the upper airway collapses during the persons’ sleep. Now, why is treatment important? Because sleep apnea has been linked to a large number of major health problems – and it would probably be nice to stay away from further issues, eh?

• Treating The Cause And Not The Symptom

As previously discuss, the obstruction of the airway is the cause we’re looking to treat – there are a number of methods to do this. So what are you looking for is a method that will keep those airways often and make sure a constant flux of air is delivered through that particular passage.  Face masks are one interesting alternative – one of the most common types of treatments out there, and one that has shown quite a number of results in the past few years. This particular type of treatment called CPAP (Continuous Position Airway Pressure) has a series of particularities, it’s not just a mask you strap on and hope for the best. But more on that later. A similar option, called BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) comes to deliver a similar experience and helps alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea.

• CPAP – What’s It All About

Okay, so what is this CPAP supposed to be? Apart from a sleep apnea treatment, it’s important to consider it as your one ticket to a good night’s sleep. Nevertheless, finding the proper one for your case isn’t about just buying it. You have to discuss with your doctor and figure out what type of medical equipment you need. After all, humidity hosing, a fitted mask and so on are necessary for increased comfort levels. At first, wearing that face mask might not be the most comfortable thing but most patients end up being quite comfortable with them after some time. Minor nuisance issues have been reported – but after all, it’s a face mask, it won’t seem easy from the beginning – just so you know what to expect.

• What Else Is There

For most, sleeping for prolonged periods of time with a face mask attached to their faces doesn’t really sound like much of a solution. And although CPAP is certainly one the best methods to get rid of your sleep apnea issues, there a couple of other options to consider. These options include:

• Weight Loss
• Proper Surgery – It’s a funny note here, where the removal of excess tissue might actually lead to better sleep quality and the complete absence of sleep apnea.
• Sleep Aids – Consider aids such as sleep shirts or sleep wedges that help with sleep apnea symptoms
• Oxygen Support – With this one, it might not be all that’s cracked up to be. While oxygen support will help your lungs get the right amount of oxygen, it won’t always chase away the rest of the symptoms.