Sunday, July 29, 2018

Useful Facts About Treatment For Sleep Apnea

By Diane Rogers


A medical condition known as sleep apnea occurs when one is sleeping whereby the airway gets obstructed which lead to a stop in the breathing process which is then resumed after sometime. This is an involuntary process which can take place a number of times during a single session of sleep and one cannot control it. Cause is the main determinant of treatment for sleep apnea.

The condition can also be as a result of a problem with signals being transmitted or received in the brain. In such a case, signals which control breathing are not correctly transmitted or received in the brain. The most common type of sleep apnea is the obstructive sleep apnea which results from obstructed airways. On the other hand, central sleep apnea is the least common and is as a result of a signaling problem.

When one is experiencing this problem, they stop breathing momentarily until the airways are opened or the breathing signal is received by the brain. When normal breathing is resumed, someone usually snorts or takes a deep breath. Sometimes on may awaken completely with a sensation of choking, smothering, or gasping. If this condition goes on without being treated, the patient is likely to develop depression or heart attack among other conditions.

The cause and how severe the condition is determine the form of treatment to be used. Treatments are aimed at normalizing the breathing process while sleeping. Elimination of fatigue during the day is one of the effects of normalizing breathing in a patient. Cardiovascular changes can also be prevented by breathing normally. These changes occur due excessive working of the heart triggered by improper breathing.

During treatment the first step is to change the lifestyle of an individual. According to research the type of life one leads usually plays a major role in causing the condition. Lifestyle changes necessary include quitting alcohol and cigarette smoking, side sleeping and losing weight. There individuals who experience sleep apnea when they lie on their backs but breathing resumes to normal when they turn on their side.

To such people, the goal of treatment is to ensure that they sleep on their side all the time. This can be done by wearing a special device around the waist or back that keep the individual sleeping on the side. Research conducted concluded that positional therapy is effective in the long term for people who cannot wear CPAP.

Airways are usually blocked by excess tissue in the throat which as one sleeps usually collapses thus causing sleep apnea. The problem can also be dealt with through surgery to remove the excess tissue. Areas targeted during the surgery includes the soft palate and uvula, tongue, upper and lower jaw, and the tonsils and adenoids.

There are a number of things one needs to understand before they undergo the procedure. The first thing is to inquire from the surgeon the levels of success the procedure has. One should also inquire on the available options they have for treatment and also why they are not qualified for those options. There are a number of side effects associated with the procedure and one should also inquire about them from the dentist.




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