Types of Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep Apnea CauseSleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief breathing pauses during sleep, if left untreated can lead to serious cardiovascular problems and premature death. Currently there is no complete cure for sleep apnea, but there are a number of treatment methods available. Diagnosis is done via a sleep study (polysomnography) and is usually conducted in a sleep lab. Home sleep test kits are available these days for those who may have problems sleeping in a foreign environment like a sleep lab.
There are a number of conventional treatment methods commonly used and these depend on the patient's medical condition and also on the severity of the disorder. These conventional treatment methods for Obstructive Sleep Apnea commonly recommended include:
Use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine
Use of Oral or Dental Appliances
Throat or nasal surgery
Currently there is no medication available to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Provagil tmModanifil has been recommended for some sleep apnea patients who complain of persisting sleepiness during the day even when using CPAP for several months. Provagil has been prescribed as an adjunctive treatment for patients who have not responded adequately to CPAP.
Of the three conventional treatment methods above the use of CPAP machine is by far the most popular and is relatively successful in treating sleep apnea. Unfortunately the compliance rate is not very high and many users have reported great discomfort in using a CPAP machine and sleeping with a mask attached. In fact the problems and side effects experienced with the use of CPAP mask and other oral dental devices have prompted many to look for other alternative treatments. Surgery unfortunately is more invasive and painful and has not had very good success rate either.
There have been some clinical studies and reported success cases on a number of alternative treatment methods. In fact some of these natural alternatives have been considered as complementary to the more conventional treatments.
Following are some alternative treatments:
Lifestyle changescan help sleep apnea
Diet, exercise and weight loss. Even a small amount of weight loss can open up your throat and improve sleep apnea symptoms.
Quit smoking. Smoking is believed to contribute to sleep apnea by increasing inflammation and fluid retention in your throat and upper airway.
Avoid alcohol and other muscle relaxants or depressant drugs a few hours before bedtime, because they relax the muscles of the soft palate and interfere with breathing.
Avoid having heavy meals and coffee a few hours before bedtime.
Sleeping Positions- avoid sleeping on the back. Sleeping on the back cause the tongue to fall backwards into the airway causing an obstruction in the airway leading to sleep apnea. There are a number of aids available to help avoid sleeping on one's back. The most popular is a specially designed sleep pillow that makes it difficult for the user to roll over onto his/her back thus preventing the user from sleeping in the supine position.
Singing Therapy- singing therapy has been proven in scientific studies to help reduce the number of apneas significantly. There had been a number of successful clinical trials conducted at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Weak vocal chord muscles and tissues in the throat tend to relax and collapse when we sleep resulting in a blockage of the airway causing apneas. The principle behind this 'singing therapy' is that by strengthening and toning the throat muscles it reduces the risk of the flabby soft palate tissues and throat muscles collapsing and vibrating hence reducing snoring and blockage of the airway, a major cause of sleep apnea.
Didgeridoo Therapy- A study done by Dr. Milo A. Puhan and his team showed that regular Didgeridoo playing is an effective alternative treatment for patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. To play the Didgeridoo correctly it requires a special breathing technique called 'circular breathing'. This breathing technique requiring the coordinated movements of the tongue, mouth and throat help to strength the airway by toning the muscles surrounding it helping to reduce any blockage of the airway.
Acupuncture - Energy or 'qi' in ancient Chinese tradition flows through the body by way of 'meridians', i.e. invisible energy channels located throughout the body. This flow of energy like all flows can often times be blocked in the body. This blockage is attributed by Traditional Chinese Medicine as a cause of many health problems, sleep apnea being one of them. To unblock this flow of energy, acupuncture is often used as an effective healing technique.
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John Hingg is a researcher whose passion is in the quest for good Health and Life. Like most he has his fair share of health issues. His mission is to share his health experiences as a patient with other patients. Visit his website at http://SleepApneaTreatmentThatWork.com where he shares his research on the unbiased reviews of 9 surviving sleep apnea patients and their experiences on treatments that work for them.