Yes, There is Sleep Apnea Treatment Without a CPAP!
For some, sleeping can be a complicated routine to master. Winding down from a hectic day can be challenging. But getting a good night’s rest generally presents a more significant challenge for people who snore or have sleep apnea. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy device is the most commonly recommended treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
But a CPAP mask doesn’t work for everyone and can be intrusive and cumbersome. Thankfully, there are other options to try.
Here are a few alternatives to using a CPAP device:
Oral Appliances
Dental professionals can choose to undergo advanced training in a number of areas. Dr. Burman at Snoring and Sleep Apnea Therapy LLC, has spent years training in the use of dental lasers and in the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders to help patients with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea achieve a better night’s sleep without the need for CPAP therapy. Oral appliances (also known as mandibular positioning devices) guide the jaw forward to position the tongue, helping to keep the airway open and reduce snoring. They are easy to use, portable, comfortable, and less cumbersome than a CPAP device.
Weight Loss
One significant risk factor for sleep apnea is obesity. Shedding as little as 10 percent of body weight can help alleviate sleep apnea symptoms. Losing even more weight can even cure sleep apnea and stop snoring in some cases.
So, get up and move that body. It helps you look good and feel good, aids weight loss to treat sleep apnea, and gives you the rest you need.
Positional Therapy
Stomach and side sleepers are less likely to experience sleep apnea. But back sleepers are more likely to experience problems. Positional therapy’s goal is to keep you off your back. Some devices may help prevent sleeping on the back, including:
Several devices range from simple to sophisticated and cheap to expensive. For example, tennis ball t-shirts, backpacks, wedges, bumpers, stacked pillows, and neck bands that vibrate when you move to your back.
Surgery and Implants
In some cases, genetics can cause sleep apnea. People with large tonsils or extra tissue in their throats may have trouble breathing while sleeping. Other issues could be due to the tongue, jaw, or soft palate.
Although quite invasive, oral surgeons can work with patients to permanently change their upper airway muscles to improve breathing. There is also the option of hypoglossal nerve stimulation. It is considered invasive because a medical device is fully implanted beneath the skin, and it electrically stimulates the nerve with the help of a remote.
NightLase Treatment
NightLase Treatment is non-invasive laser treatment used to heat the soft tissues at the back of the throat to tighten and contract them, thereby opening the airway to make for easier breathing and reducing (and sometimes even eliminating) snoring.
Treatment generally consists of 3-4 treatments over 9-12 weeks. Each appointment lasts approximately 30-45 minutes and doesn’t require any anesthesia. The final result often lasts up to a year, and treatments may be repeated as needed.
Consider Sleep Apnea Treatment Without a CPAP at Snoring and Sleep Apnea Therapy in Jupiter, FL
Dr. Burman is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (D.ABDSM), the leading independent, not-for-profit testing organization for dentists who treat snoring and sleep-related breathing disorders with oral appliance therapy. Dr. Burman has extensive training as a dentist in treating sleep-related breathing disorders, specifically in the fabrication and use of mandibular positioning devices.
NightLase and Oral Appliance Therapy are less-invasive alternative treatments for individuals exhibiting mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or snoring compared to surgical or CPAP treatments. Come visit us at Snoring and Sleep Apnea Therapy in Jupiter, Florida, today!