The goal of treatment for sleep apnea patients is to keep the airway open and prevent pauses in breathing during sleep.
Various methods used to alleviate sleep apnea include:
Behavioral Therapy, which should include avoiding alcohol and CNS depressants close to bedtime, weight reduction and sleep posture modification.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which is an effective noninvasive medical treatment to eliminate snoring and prevent sleep apnea. CPAP works by gently blowing pressurized air through the nasal passage of the patient at a pressure high enough to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep.
Oral appliances, which reposition the lower jaw and the tongue, thus opening the space at the back of the throat, and helping treat sleep apnea. There are various devices that prevent the tongue from falling back over the airway (a tongue retaining device) or move the mandible to an anterior and forward position (a mandibular advancement device or MAD).
Surgery such as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
UPPP, the most common type of surgery to treat sleep apnea, intends to enlarge the airways by removing all the redundant tissue (tonsils, adenoids, and uvula) from the pharynx.
Laser-assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a procedure performed in a specialist office and involves the use of a laser to remove part of the soft palate, shorten the uvula (the uvula is the tissue that hangs from the middle of the back of the roof of the mouth) and remove other excess tissue from the pharynx.
Tracheostomy, in which a small hole is made in the trachea or windpipe below the site of obstruction and a tube is inserted into the opening. This tube is opened only during sleeping hours, so that air flows directly into the lungs, bypassing any blocked air passage in the throat.
Another relatively new procedure is radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which makes use of radiofrequency energy to remove tissue from uvula, soft palate and tongue and thereby help treat sleep apnea. In children and adolescents removal of enlarged tonsils or adenoids stands as a viable option in the treatment of sleep apnea.
Related Articles of Interest :
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition characterized by recurrent hypoxemia and arousal, due to partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways during sleep with consequent daytime somnolence. Symptoms are loud snoring, hypersomnolence (excessive daytime sleepiness), and restless sleep. Other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea...
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Sleep Apnea Machines
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Two types of positive airway pressure used to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea are the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the effective noninvasive medical treatment to eliminate snoring and prevent sleep apnea. The CPAP...
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Sleep Apnea
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by episodes of disturbed or interrupted breathing during sleep associated with recurrent arousals and awakenings. The cessation in breathing (interruption) during sleep lasts for 10-30 seconds in patients with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. However, in severe cases this cessation...
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Sleep Apnea Surgery
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Some sleep apnea patients may need surgery to remove excess tissue from the nose or throat (removal of adenoids and tonsils, nasal polyps or other growth) and to straighten a deviated septum. Although surgery is an excellent way of treating symptomatic sleep apnea, its success...
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Sleep Apnea Masks
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Sleep apnea masks provide continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and are the most effective noninvasive medical treatment to eliminate snoring and prevent sleep apnea. The CPAP consists of a portable machine with a mask, tubes and fan. The patient wears the sealed mask, which is...
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A Look at Snoring Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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If your own efforts to stop snoring do not help, consult your physician or an otolaryngologist — or a doctor for the ear, nose, and throat. If you choose to try a dental appliance as a snoring treatment, you will need to see a dentist...
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Central Sleep Apnea
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Central sleep apnea is a rare condition characterized by a cessation or decrease in breathing during sleep due to problem with signals from the brain that control breathing. The symptoms of central sleep apnea are loud snoring, hypersomnolence (excessive daytime sleepiness), and restless sleep. The...
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A Review of Recommended Snoring Cures
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There are probably as many cures for snoring as there are people complaining about someone snoring. Over 300 anti-snoring devices and cures have been registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices. They include the familiar remedy -– a tennis ball in a sock sewed...
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Sleep Apnea Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by episodes of disturbed or interrupted breathing during sleep resulting in recurrent arousals and awakenings. The symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, hyper somnolence (excessive daytime sleepiness), and restless sleep. Snoring is a sign of upper-airway obstruction...
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An Introduction to Snoring
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Someone who snores can often become the butt of jokes. But jokes aside, snoring is no laughing matter. Nearly 90 million Americans snore, most of them men, and very often snoring affects those over the age of 60. A recent survey found that snoring is...