Sleep Apnea Cures – If Not Cures, They Help
Sleep apnea cures come in the form of lifestyle changes. If you smoke and lose weight to decrease obesity, quitting smoking can be enough of a difference to eliminate sleep apnea and allow you to sleep better at night. On the other hand, if these measures are not enough, seek medical professionals.
The most common form of treatment is a CPAP machine if you have obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. You must wear a mask that fits snugly over your nose and mouth attached to a machine that blows air continuously into your nose and mouth when you are sleeping so your airway stays open. As a result, you do not suffocate in your sleep.
That does not happen often. What usually happens is the oxygen levels of your blood drop at least 4%, and then your brain signals you to wake up so you can resume breathing. This can happen as much as thirty times per hour for as long as you are asleep. Do the math, if you will. If you are sleeping for eight hours and stop breathing 30 times every hour, you stop breathing 240 times per night. If each stoppage lasts one minute and your brain wakes you up each time, you miss out on four hours of sleep every night of the week for weeks or months.
Suppose you only have a mild form of sleep apnea. In that case, you could probably get away with wearing an oral device as one more sleep apnea cures to keep your tongue from falling back and blocking your airway. These devices either hold your tongue down or change the way you hold your mouth when you are sleeping to give you more room behind your language, keeping your airway open.
Your doctor may encourage you to teach yourself to sleep on your side instead of rolling onto your back. The good idea is to sleep with a rolled-up blanket or towel behind your back to “remind” you to stay on your side when you are sleeping.
If you have a moderate to severe case, surgery may be necessary to remove the obstruction. Obstructions can include a deviated septum in the nasal passages or tonsils and adenoids in the throat and sinuses. Removing the tonsils and adenoids will allow for more room in the airway and make a collapse of the airway less likely.
Central sleep apnea or complex or mixed sleep apnea is the most dangerous kind of apnea. This is where your brain fails to signal the muscles that control your breathing to initiate a breath consistently throughout the night.
In the most severe cases, as in central sleep apnea or complex, or mixed, sleep apnea, a tracheostomy with a trach tube in the throat or below the obstructed area may be necessary as sleep apnea cures go. If you think you have a sleep disorder, please consult your physician.
The Dream Team at ADVANCEDSLEEPTHERAPY.COM consists of Respiratory Practitioners, RN Nurse Clinician and a Home Medical Equipment Specialist. They will assist you in starting with the proper CPAP equipment right in the comfort of your home and then provide ongoing monitoring to your doctor.
Advanced Sleep Therapy, located in Arlington Heights, has served Chicagoland for over 15 years. Their knowledge and experience in CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and CPAP cleaning accessories are outstanding.
Advanced Sleep Therapy is a JCAHO Gold Seal Certified provider.
Don’t have insurance? No worries, you can always order online from our sister company BREATHEASYCPAP.COM. Breathe Easy CPAP is proud to offer a complete line of CPAP machines, CPAP humidifiers, CPAP masks, CPAP headgear, and all cleaning and CPAP accessories.
