If you suffer from snoring and breathing problems during sleep, then you are not alone. 10% of the 326,000,000 people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea suffer from it. CPAP, which is used by more than 8 million people worldwide, continues to be a popular choice for treating obstructive or sleep apnea. However, sleeping without a CPAP machine at night can lead to sleeplessness. There are alternatives to snoring, obstructive or sleep apnea. There are other options available for CPAP machines.
Innovative Treatment Methods
A doctor who specializes in sleep disorders is the best person to diagnose it. You can continue living your normal life with no awareness that you have sleep disorders. You can use no mask cpap. Insufficient sleep may lead to health problems that are not resolved. Obstructive sleep apnea can be treated with surgical procedures.
- Positional Therapy – Sometimes, simple solutions are the best. Obstructive sleep Apnea that occurs when one is sleeping on their side might be treated by lying down. To keep your airway open, it is better to sleep on your back. Discuss this option with your physician.
- The majority of people who are obese (42.4%) have an obstructive sleep disorder. Overweight people have more fat tissue around their throats and the base of their tongues. Ask your physician about medical weight loss and bariatric surgeries, which are both common but often forgotten solutions.
- A mouth device, also known as a mandibular advancement device, prevents the tongue’s obstruction of the airway. It moves the jaw and tongue forward. These devices can be very useful, but not all people will find them suitable.
- Inspire therapy: If your ENT doctor diagnoses you have backward tongue collapsing, a hypoglossal neural stimulator could be helpful. Inspire is FDA approved to treat sleep apnea. It works internally and can be used to correct the root cause. Inspire is a quick outpatient procedure that monitors and stimulates key airway muscles. This stimulation allows for easier breathing by moving the tongue, soft tissues, and surrounding airway.
Avoid alcohol, as well as certain medications, such as sleeping pills, and sedatives. They may increase the risk of snoring, obstruction, and apnea.
Other Common Options
Alternatives to CPAP for treating OSA exist.
- Tonsils and adenoids can be surgically removed to prevent airway obstruction and snoring. If you have a long palate, a uvulectomy can shorten it by removing excess soft palate tissue. This procedure widens the airway and eases throat airflow. A uvulectomy reduces snoring and sleep apnea.
- A GGA (genioglossus advancement) procedure advances the chin bone if the airway collapses behind the tongue. By pulling the base of the tongue muscles forward, moving the bone increases airway size.
- MMA (maxillomandibular advancement) surgery lengthens and advances a short upper or lower jawbone (mandible). For those with severe OSA, surgery is a last resort.
- Jawbones can be widened by surgery and orthodontics. Maxillomandibular expansion (MME) involves orthodontic appliances and surgery. The treatment enlarges the airway and tongue space.
- Tongue reduction surgery may help if it’s enlarged. Tongue reduction may improve airflow and breathing by reducing airway collapse.
