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Do You Hate Your CPAP? You’re Not Alone
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that occurs during a person’s sleep when their soft tissue muscles relax enough to form a blockage in their airway. Patients will go through consistent patterns all night where they stop breathing for a moment and briefly reawaken without even knowing.
In order to stop these unwanted disruptions, doctors will initially recommend a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask. This machine-operated mask is worn at night and continuously blows pressurized air through your throat, opening up the airway enough to breathe regularly.
Although the CPAP works for many and is considered the “gold standard” for sleep apnea treatments, many patients complain about its inconvenience, loud noise, and intrusiveness.
Dr. Bell offers a variety of alternatives to CPAP for our Hallam patients’ sleep apnea and snoring. Discover oral appliances and other alleviators that can help you get through the night without any interruptions.
A Smaller, More Convenient Solution
Oral appliances are a custom-made dental mouthpiece that is designed to clear any obstruction keeping your throat closed and preventing you from breathing. Also known as a snore guard or mandibular advancement device, these oral mouthguards have proven to find relief for patients who snore or have mild-to-moderate OSA.
There are many advantages of an oral appliance, which is why it has become the more preferred method of treatment over CPAP. Some of these benefits include:
- Small and comfortable
- Portable and convenient
- Silent
- No power required
- More affordable
- Made for each individual
Comfortable At-Home Sleep Remedies
Do you want to stop feeling drowsy every day and begin feeling energized and ready for the new day? There are various ways to alleviate your sleep apnea and snoring with simple changes to your daily routine and implementing new habits into your life.
Dr. Bell recommends these lifestyle tips that can show vast improvements in your sleep and health:
- Weight loss is recommended for patients who are obese or overweight
- Avoid drinking alcohol or taking sleeping pills so you can naturally sleep at night
- Sleep on your side so your tongue or soft palate can’t block your airway
- Use nasal spray or nasal strips to help keep your nasal passages open
- Stop smoking tobacco to improve your sleep
Surgery as an Alternative
For more severe cases of sleep apnea, some patients may require surgery. Depending on your situation, some procedures that have been found to provide relief for sleep apnea patients include:
- Tissue removal: During this procedure called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), your doctor removes soft tissue from the rear of your mouth and top of your throat to increase the width of your throat opening. Your tonsils and adenoids are usually removed as well.
- Jaw repositioning: For this surgery, your jaw is moved forward from the remainder of your facial bones. This enlarges the space behind the tongue and soft palate, opening up your airway and lowering the chances of an obstruction from occurring. This procedure is known as maxillomandibular advancement.
- Nasal surgery: This procedure is completed to correct any obstruction in your nose, such as a deviated septum.
Relieve Your Fatigue with Dr. Bell
Here at York Dental Sleep Therapy, we want all our patients to find the treatment they deserve to improve their health and well-being. Live your life to the fullest again. Contact Dr. Bell today to get started on your well-deserved treatment plan towards a happier, healthier lifestyle.
