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Sleep Disorder Help
Sleep Apnea Help:Sleep apnea occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People who do not have their sleep apnea treated stop breathing multiple, even hundreds, of times during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea—obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the more common type of sleep apnea. This is usually caused by blockage of the airways, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. Central sleep apnea is different from obstructive in a big way. The airways I not blocked during sleep, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Sleep apnea can affect anyone, of any age and gender, even children, but there are several things that can make them more likely--being male, overweight, over the age of 40, having a large neck (17+ inches in men, 16+ inches in women), having larger tonsils, or having a family history of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea treatment can range from simple life changes to surgery. In mild cases, behavior modifications—such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol, changing sleep positions, stopping smoking, and avoiding sleeping on your back—may be all that you need to cure your apnea. In more severe cases, there are a few different sleep apnea devices that can be used. Continuous positive airway pressure is achieved by wearing a mask over the nose and/or mouth while you sleep. The mask is hooked to a machine that provides airflow to the nostrils. Dental devices can also be worn to keep the airways open. The last resort may be surgery. This is usually done in cases of deviated nasal septum, enlarged tonsils, or when a small lower jaw causes an overbite which makes the throat narrow. Some common surgeries are somnoplasty, nasal surgery, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), and mandibular maxillar advancement surgery. Another option could be a pillar palatal implant. This is a simple procedure, but is relatively new. The implants reduce the movement of the soft palate and the surgery only takes about 10 minutes. The implants have been approved by the FDA for snoring and sleep apnea, but their price tag is pretty high, upwards of $2,000. It is expected that health insurance companies will be reimbursing the implants in about two years after more studies are done. |
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