Treatment options for sleep apnea

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition when your breathing stops during your sleep, sometimes occurring 20-30 times per hour. Each time you stop breathing, the lack of oxygen available to supply to the brain causes you to wake up to restart the breathing process. The continuous process of wake-sleep, wake-sleep cycles prevent you from achieving deep sleep and causes you to feel constant drowsiness and fatigue during the day.

What are the risk factors?

Sleep apnea can occur with any age and gender. However, it is more common in males over age 40. There is higher risk for individuals with obesity, smoking, drinking, and family history.

Should it be treated?

Sleep apnea should be treated immediately. If left untreated, it can lead to high blood pressure, risk of heart failure, and stroke. It interferes with sedation and surgical recovery. Due to unintentionally falling asleep during the day, it negatively affects work and school. It also leads to higher risk of injury while operating heavy machinery.

How is sleep apnea treated?

Treatment for sleep apnea depends on the severity and type of apnea. Basic treatments involve behavior management, such as instructing patients to lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking, and sleep on their side instead of their back.

Intervention treatment may include an oxygen machine. A medical device called a CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is commonly used to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea. It delivers a continuous stream of oxygen to the patient, and has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce heart problems [Source: WebMD].

Many people find that the machine works effectively at delivering air flow. However, the drawbacks include wearing a face mask that can be cumbersome and uncomfortable, and the mask can cause sore spots and irritation to the skin. The machine can be noisy, which can wake a person up at night. It is also an expensive machine. Some patients find themselves waking up at night to take the oxygen mask off.

An alternative treatment is oral appliance therapy. The oral device works best for mild and moderate cases of sleep apnea and avoids the drawbacks of an uncomfortable machine. The treatment involves fabricating and fitting a custom-made appliance to position the mouth open and unobstructed in order to maintain an open airway. This appliance is fabricated by an orthodontist and is used to prevent throat blockages. The oral appliance must fit comfortably so that it does not cause sore spots and the person can breathe comfortably.

In some severe cases, surgical treatment may be required to permanently change the position of the jaw. The mandible can be advanced to open the airway. The maxilla can be widened with a palatal expander in order to widen airway spaces.

If you or someone you love suffers from sleep apnea, talk to your physician to be referred to a sleep apnea specialist. The specialist may conduct a sleep study to diagnose the extent of the problem and recommend the appropriate treatment. If you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you can schedule a consultation with an orthodontist to see if oral appliance therapy may be helpful to treat your sleep apnea. We can custom create an oral device for you to help open your airway and improve breathing.

If you find this blog helpful, let us know. Dr. Nancy Phan and the team at Care Orthodontics want you to have a beautiful and healthy smile. We create beautiful smiles with Care!

Sources and Citations:

1. http://www.progressivebraces.com/sleep-apnea-appliance-snore-appliance
2. http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/11/using-oral-and-dental-devices-to-treat-snoring-and-sleep-apnea.html
3. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/continuous-positive-airway-pressure-cpap-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea