Surgical Treatment Of Sleep Apnea

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How Sleep Apnea Can Be Handled Sleep apnea is a
rather common yet often undiagnosed condition
wherein there are instances of shallow or
infrequent breathing during sleep. This condition
leads to a trouble in your sleep, resulting in
exhaustion or sleepiness during the
day. Treating Sleep Apnea There are two main
goals of treating sleep apnea. The first is to
recover regular breathing during sleep, and the
second is to avoid loud loud night breathing (a
common sign of the disorder) and daytime
sleepiness. Exactly how Sleep Apnea Can Be
Handled Lifestyle Change If you have a mild case
of sleep apnea, a lifestyle change may be all
that you require to treat this problem. Some of
the life-style changes you can make include
Avoiding alcohol and the intake of sleeping
tablets Stopping the awful habit of
smoking Losing weight Sleeping on your side
instead of on your back as the latter can make it
harder for your throat to stay open while you
sleep Mouthpieces A mouthpiece, also known as
an oral appliance, is another treatment for a
mild case of sleep apnea. Doctors would also
suggest you wear a mouth piece if you snore
loudly even if you dont have sleep apnea. In the
treatment of sleep apnea, you will be wearing a
Customized-fit plastic mouthpiece that is
specially designed to adjust your tongue and
lower jaw to keep your airways open while youre
sleeping. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or
CPAP This type of treatment comes with the use
of CPAP masks. The mask is worn over the mouth or
nose while you sleep. It is connected to a device
that supplies a continuous flow of air, which
passes from the device to the mask through a
tube. CPAP is the one sleep apnea treatment that
is most suggested by physicians. Surgical
treatment The more invasive alternative of
surgical treatment for sleep apnea is performed
on patients with a deviated septum, smaller lower
jaw with an overbite, or bigger tonsils that
narrow the breathing
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passages. Surgical treatment to correct the
causes of sleep apnea involves shrinking,
stiffening, or removing extra tissue, or
resetting the lower jaw to widen air
passages. The 3 most common surgeries performed
on sleep apnea patients are the following Nasal
Surgery to correct a deviated septum Mandibular
maxillar advancement surgery to eliminate throat
obstructions Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty to
eliminate extra tissue on the back of the palette
and throat