If you suffer from sleep apnea, your health care provider must have recommended one of several dental appliances. They may have offered you some relief or worst of all, done nothing in your bid to enjoy your sleep. Truth is, sleep apnea solutions that come in the shape of dental appliances are not 100 % effective. But given the harsh reality that other alternatives are expensive and surgery is frightening, dental appliances are always worth a try. That’s why it’s always good to know a thing or two about the most common dental appliances used to get rid or rather suppress sleep apnea.

Common Devices

As already hinted, there are several types of dental sleep apnea solutions that your doctor may recommend.  It all depends with your condition and how bad it is. There are, however, two devices that always stand out:

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine …(CPAP)
• Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)

CPAP

Unlike its name, the device is not that complicated. Some patients have had so much success with and capped it as one of the best sleep apnea solutions. It works by forcing air in and out of your lungs and preventing any interruption of breath. Sadly, it has its flaws just like other devices used for the same purpose.  CPAP is:

• Costly
• Uncomfortable

  

Apart from these two flaws, there’s nothing really bad with CPAP. It doesn’t hurt a trifle to note that the discomfort associated with it is primarily because of the mask that has to be worn with the device. You can however get used to the mask within a couple of days.

MAD

It has a splint that works by keeping your tongue in a flat state. That way, it cannot obstruct how you breathe. The device also forces your lower jaw back and keeps the airwaves wide open. It’s very easy to use and get used to.

Which Device is Better?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to answer that. It all depends on the main cause of your sleep apnea. You doctor will have to find out more about the cause and choose a perfect solution between the two or other devices.

Other Remedies

There are of course, alternative remedies which seem to be more effective than conventional sleep apnea solutions. It should, however, be noted that for any solution out there, your doctor must first approve your choice. This is precisely because obstructive sleep apnea, which needless to say, is the most common form of sleep apnea, calls for different and less sophisticated natural sleep apnea solutions than its counterpart central sleep apnea.  Surprisingly, the best obstructive sleep apnea solutions come in the form of divorcing some habits like:

• Smoking
• Heavy drinking
• Poor eating habits

  

The sleep apnea mouth guard is also another great remedy.  It has come to the rescue of many patients, thanks to its availability in most stores and its affordability. It should however be noted that even for patients who consider the mouth guard as the ultimate solution, the doctor’s word is always final. In any case, there could be a more dangerous, underlying problem disguising itself as sleep apnea. The only way to know is to book that appointment with your doctor.

Conclusion

 You don’t have to spend a lot on sleep apnea solutions. All you need is to stick to what your doctor tells you. Then quit any habit that encourages the condition. You never know, your love for the bottle could be the only link between you and your condition. Keep off the bottle or any habit that hinders sound sleep and you could just forget about sleep apnea remedies and solutions completely.

Sleep apnea is a suffering which often goes undetected. It can be irritating and damaging. People focus on the symptom and forget the root cause. For sleeplessness, they try sleeping pills. For headache, they take the drugs available over the counter. It often becomes too late when you go for sleep apnea treatment. It is important to identify and treat this condition as the after effects may be fatal over a period of time.

Main types of sleep apnea

• Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where the soft tissue at the back of the mouth blocks the air path.
• Central sleep apnea is a condition where the central nervous system fails to send the signal to the muscles to carry out the normal breathing process for a few seconds.
• Complex sleep apnea is a combination of Obstructive and Central sleep apnea.

After effects

Sleep apnea may result in several physical and psychological problems. The symptoms in the initial stage include:

•  Sleeplessness
• Headache in the morning
• Body ache
• Tiredness
• Snoring
• Sleeping trend during daytime

At a later stage, it may develop into serious complications which can include:

• Chronic Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Lack of concentration
• Feeling out of breath
• Depression

If sleep apnea is not detected and treated, these symptoms continue to become severe. This may hamper day to day activity. The performance of a person may dip considerably for all his day to day activities. In case of a child, the scores in the evaluation tests in schools would decrease. The child would not be able to perform in sports or other activities. Depression may set in and he may turn out to be an introvert.

For an adult, his relationship with his partner will suffer due to his abnormal sleeping habits. He would not be able to cope up with the fast paced competitive world. He will lose out on opportunities due to lack of concentration and restlessness. Acute condition may even lead to weight gain and high blood pressure. These symptoms are fatal.

Symptoms

The identification of the symptoms for sleep apnea is extremely critical. Large section of the society has tendency to pop up a readily available pill in case of headache, tiredness or lack of sleep. Temporary relief measures may lead to complications at a later stage. It is difficult to identify the symptoms in a child. You may observe the following conditions:

• The child is hyper active
• Child does not pay attention
• The child remains irritated and behaves rudely
• The child breaths through the mouth

An adult should look for the following indicators:

• Typical indications of headache, tiredness, dry mouth or sore throat when you wake up in the morning
• Insomnia
• Frequent tend of passing urine during night
• Lack of concentration, irritation or depression.

As soon as you observe these symptoms, you should consult a physician and go for the desired sleep apnea treatment.

Sleep apnea treatment

The treatment of sleep apnea is done by a physician who specializes in sleep disorder. The first step is to undergo the necessary tests. This may include monitoring the sleeping pattern using necessary devices. The next and most important step is to switch to a healthy lifestyle by following the below mentioned tips:

• Lose weight and maintain a perfect BMI
• Stop smoking if you are a smoker
• Reduce alcohol intake to minimal

You should avoid sleeping on your back. Also, you can lift the head while you sleep. The nasal passage may be cleaned with the help of saline spray. Doctors also advice a set of exercise for the tongue and throat which helps to control the blocking of air flow.

Sleep apnea mouth guards

There are some very effective mechanical devices which fit in your mouth and restrict the soft tissue to a position from where it cannot block the air passage. These devices may be in form of a mask or a sleep apnea mouth guard and are often termed as mandibular advancement splint. The device simply positions the lower jaw slightly forward. As a result, the possibility of the passage getting blocked is reduced to a minimal. This is effective in case of obstructive sleep apnea. Since there is no medication involved, the treatment is absolutely harmless. Results are visible from the very first day. The modern designs are easy to fit and a patient can get used to it in a short time. This is probably the easiest option for obstructive sleep apnea treatment.

Surgery and medication

The doctor may prescribe medication especially for complex or central sleep apnea treatment. Surgery is needed in case of conditions where all other sleep apnea treatment options have failed to provide result. Surgeon may remove tonsil and try to increase the air path. These operations would require thorough analysis and you may need to stay in the hospital.

One should observe the symptoms of sleep apnea disorder carefully. Changes in lifestyle and a simple mouth guard may resolve the problem in most of the cases. Delay in treatment may lead to critical conditions.

A sleep apnea pillow helps you breathe better by ensuring that your head and neck are properly aligned while you sleep. When your head and neck are properly aligned, you have a clearer air passageway that allows you to breathe well. If you suffer from sleep apnea, a clear airway may be hard to achieve, hence the need for the pillows. These pillows are an effective remedy for snoring and breathing difficulty experienced during sleep.

There are two main types of sleep apnea, the central sleep apnea, which is caused by poor respiratory control by the brain, and obstructive apnea, which is as a result of physical blockage in the respiratory system. The latter is a mild form of apnea that is usually common amongst overweight individuals and can be easily managed in a number of ways. One of the ways to manage this is by using special physical devices designed to keep your airways open. In obstructive apnea, blockage can be as a result of the airway collapsing during sleep, or through obstruction by the tongue or sleeping posture resulting in very shallow breathing, or snoring.

Sleep apnea can lead to a number of problems, these can be:

• Sleepiness or fatigue during the day. This usually occurs depending on the level of sleep interference.
• Poor vision
• Slower response time

All these are conditions that occur as a result of sleep interference. During sleep, apnea can cause your breathing to pause for a moment or become very light, preventing the body from taking in the required amount of air, and expelling waste gas from the lungs. After this happens for what is usually a very short period of time, the body tries to hasten breathing in order to compensate for the period of light or no respiration. The result is heavier and quicker breathing which then interferes with sleep.

Sleep apnea pillow and other devices

Apnea pillows are special types of pillows, which are nothing like the regular pillows you use. They are shaped to provide the right kind of neck and head support. The best sleep apnea pillow is one that is made in the right shape, from the right kind of cushioning material and is able to provide the proper head and neck support you need. Apart from the apnea pillow alone, you can also use the following products designed to help improve respiration during sleep and prevent blockages along the respiratory system. These can be:

• Sleep apnea mouth guard

This is designed to cause a shift in the lower jaw pushing it forward enough to open the airways at the throat. There are also mouth guards that restrain the tongue and this is especially in cases where the tongue is the cause of blockage in the airway. These devices are suitable for you if you suffer from mild to moderate apnea. They are very easy to use and can be used as a solution for individuals who are not clinically obese but are experiencing apnea.

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Mask

This is special kind of sleep apnea pillow mask is designed to also help you maintain proper breathing as you sleep. The mask is held to the face using a special headgear and is connected to a flexible tube attached to a machine on the bedside. What this machine does is to keep your airway open by delivering pressurized air through the tube.

The air goes in through your nose and into your throat keeping it open. Since such a device can cause discomfort, you can select the right mask type and size that you find most comfortable. They are available in many different sizes, shapes and are made from different materials. You can therefore find one that is comfortable enough and specifically suits you.

This mask should be used with a special type of pillow. The sleep apnea pillow wedge design stops the mask from pressing into your face. The pillow is shaped not only to allow proper head support alone, but also has an allowance for the mask and its connecting tube.

Other solutions

In order for your body to do the necessary repairs and regain the energy it needs, it is advisable that you get a minimum of seven hours of sleep every day. Sleep apnea deprives you of this. Please note that there are several other solutions to sleep apnea, these include surgery, training of the tongue muscle and even medication. However, the mouth guard and pillow are some of the most preferred due to their accessibility and ease of use

Sleep apnea treatment options are a buzzword these days, but what is it and which treatment works for what kind of severity is something to ponder upon. Sleep apnea which is very closely related to snoring is a very common medical condition. This condition is very damaging for a person’s social status. The worst part of the story is that you wouldn’t even realize if you are a victim to it unless and until someone tells you about it.

Thanks to the amazing advances in the medical field you can now very easily and most importantly quite quickly and safely get rid of this health condition. Here are the best ways in which you can treat yourself if you are suffering from sleep apnea depending on how serious or mild the case is.

Sleep Apnea Treatment Options for Milder Conditions

The sooner you detect the symptoms of sleep apnea, the easier it is to treat this medical condition. For people who suffer from mild cases of sleep apnea can visit their nearest doctor who would recommend them to make certain changes to their lifestyle and their sleep apnea problem would be fixed. Sleep apnea occurs mainly due to overweight.

If you can lose some extra pounds, then there is a high chance that you get rid of a mild case of sleep apnea. The other changes you might be asked to make include quitting tobacco or stopping on drinking alcohol. Even if you have the habit of eating sleeping pills and can stop eating completely you can get rid of sleep apnea. These are the easiest and safest mild sleep apnea treatment options.

Sleep Apnea Treatment Options using Oral Devices

Nothing like using a sleep apnea mouth guard to help heal yourself! Though there are many more effective methods than using an oral appliance, this is preferred since it is really easy to use. These devices help you by bringing the jaw forward and opening up the throat while you sleep which results in reduced snoring.

Mild obstructive sleep apnea treatment options also include using mouth guards. Mouth guards are good for people who have just discovered that they have a snoring problem and want to get it treated real soon. Oral devices like a mouth guard are best for people who are trying to get rid of mild or moderate sleep apnea problems.

You can get a guard that fits you well and check with the doctor every 6 months if this treatment works well for you or not by checking for signs of improvement. Continuous or expiratory airway pressure devices need to be looked at, if mouth guards don’t work well for you and are the best in terms of central sleep apnea treatment options.

What Needs To Be Done When Sleep Apnea Is Beyond Control?

In case you are finding it difficult to treat sleep apnea with the above methods then some surgical procedures need to be considered so as to treat the condition.

• Surgical methods are the best for people who have extreme conditions of sleep apnea. Tissue removal and jaw repositioning are the most popular methods for this condition.
• Building a new air passageway is also one of the sleep apnea treatment options. The tissue from the rear of the mouth and the top of the throat are removed to heal sleep apnea in the tissue removal procedure.

• In the jaw repositioning procedure, the jaw is moved ahead compared to the rest of the face bones which makes obstruction difficult to occur. This new air passageway process is for people who suffer from life threatening sleep apnea.
• When all the other methods have been tried and tested and have not worked then this is the process which comes to your rescue. An opening is made in the neck and a plastic tube is inserted into it which through the person would have to breathe.

Conclusion

Sleep apnea of any and every form can be treated. The sooner you detect it, the quicker and easier you can heal it. Make sure to find out the right away if you happen to suffer from even the slightest symptoms of sleep apnea and you can get rid of it the soonest. These are so many options to treat apnea, find out which is most suited for you and you can help heal yourself the best way.

Sleep disorders are very common in children. In fact, research indicates that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects more than ten percent of American children. More often than not, the condition requires medical assistance to be fully treated. Unfortunately, children showcase mild obstructive sleep apnea symptoms that can be hard to detect. The most common signs however, are mouth breathing and snoring. In less severe cases, children simply outgrow the condition. When it is more severe, it prevents adequate sleep and leads to:

• Behavior issues
• ADHD
• Poor performance at school
• Other health problems

To detect obstructive sleep apnea in children and come up with the appropriate treatment, polysomnagram or a sleep test must be done. The test will evaluate the type as well as severity of the symptoms being experienced. It is an affordable test, so have no fears at all on how much you will spend on it.

How OSA Affects Children

To get a clear understanding of what obstructive sleep apnea really is and how it takes a toll on children, one must first learn how to detect its symptoms and why the occur in the first place. With OSA, children experience difficulties breathing due to their airways being blocked by some tissues. The end result can be anything in the shape of:

• Gasping
• Snoring
• Mouth breathing
• Restlessness

These bouts prevent children from falling into deep sleep which is extremely vital for their growth and development. Like you may have already heard before, an enlarged tonsil is the chief cause of apnea in children. Pediatricians recommend removing the tonsil. They term it as the best treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in children, since it prevents airway blockage.

OSA In Children and Unhealthy Habits

Just like in adults, being overweight plays a big role in worsening obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children. It is easy to understand how the condition comes up in children. They spend most of their time indoors playing video games surfing the internet or watching the TV. They hardly get the exercise they need and before long, they gain excess weight. Excess fat then increases the amount of tissue around their air passage.

As they sleep, the muscles responsible for keeping the tissues out of the air passage relaxed, allowing the extra tissues to block your child’s airway. He or she then wakes up gasping for air and snoring loudly. The gasps and snores are just but the body’s way of restoring the right oxygen amounts. In such cases, losing weight is simply the best remedy. Your child’s doctor may also recommend CPAP or a sleep apnea mouth guard. It will all depend on how severe your child’s condition is. To prevent all these, do the following:

• Work out with your kid often – Be smart if this turns out to be hard. Allow him to ride his or her bike to school daily.
• Observe a healthy diet – Keep off junk foods. Make your child to eat more fruits and vegetables
• Exercise your child’s brain – Use board games to do this.

Conclusion

They say prevention is better than cure. That is where the solution lies. Detecting sleep apnea as soon as possible and seeking medical assistance can get rid of the condition completely. Don’t give up if the condition has already progressed. Simply help your loved one to observe his or her prescriptions, maintain a healthy eating habit and most importantly, show some extra love and care. It takes time to treat sleep apnea, so be patient with your child. In the end, you’ll triumph over the condition and will know how to deal with it should it manifest in your child’s siblings.

Your sleep apnea mask is the directly linked to the therapy you are supposed to be receiving. If however, your mask fits inadequately, is uncomfortable or just doesn’t work, then this therapy isn’t really happening. That is why you have to invest in the best sleep apnea masks. Your mask could after all, be the thin line that separates your lack and sleep and plenty of it.

Choosing the Best Mask

With the wide range of sleep apnea masks available, choosing the right one can be hard, if not tricky. Ask your doctor to help you choose the right one or let him buy one for you. Masks simply come in a number of styles and designs, so choosing one that gives you the most comfort is really important. Speaking of comfort, the best mask is that which you can’t tell when it is on or not. In other words, it has to be light. It should also have a proper seal which will prevent air from leaking.

Types of Sleep Apnea Mask

There are 3 common sleep apnea masks available in health stores. As already hinted, your doctor should be able to choose the best one for you. The types include:

• Nasal Sleep Apnea Mask – It comes complete with a headgear and a chin strap to ensure a comfortable, proper seal.
• Nasal Pillow Sleep Apnea Mask – Comes with two sizeable tubes supposed to be directly inserted into the nostrils. It also comes with a headgear to keep it tightly in place.
• Total Sleep Apnea Mask – It covers the entire face up to the eyes. It seals on the side of the face and is ideal for men with long beards.

Taking Care of Your Sleep Apnea Mask

Don’t share your mask with anyone. That’s the first simple rule. Then remember to wash your mask every morning and give it sometime to air dry. Avoid strong detergents and antibacterial soaps when washing your mask. They will only break down the silicon lining of the mask which allows it to seal properly. Remember to also clean your face before putting on your mask, or at least ensure that it’s clean. Lastly, replace your sleep apnea mask after every six months. After that, the silicon lining becomes too soft and the mask loses its function.

Take Advantage of Reviews

Don’t get ripped off. Find out what other patients say about the mask you want to buy. Find out too, if the mask has been approved by the FDA or has been recommended by health professionals. You’re dealing with your health, so your choice should be the best one. Should you come across a negative review of the mask you want to buy, just keep off it and shop for another one.

Other Tips

Always insist on the right mask. This is because sleep apnea masks for men and sleep apnea masks for women differ from each other. Do the same when buying other treatment options like the sleep apnea mouth guard.

Conclusion

Take your time to buy the right sleep apnea mask. The process may seem tedious and draining but it is always worth it. Remember with good sleep apnea masks, sleep is guaranteed. Without one, the night gets longer and worst of all, you only harm yourself. Consider too how you breathe. Sleeping apnea masks for nose breathers and sleep apnea masks for mouth breathers are two different things. They may serve the same goal or purpose but truth is, each one is unique in its own way. To put it simply, the best mask for you depends on how you sleep and choose the right mask. 

There are several sleep apnea treatments that can come to your rescue and finally allow you to fall asleep. They range from surgery to alternative sleep apnea treatments and cognitive behavioral therapies which many doctors recommend. Whichever treatment method you prefer, it is important that your condition gets treated ASAP. Ignoring its symptoms as common fatigue pointers can be catastrophic. How so? The following health risks are all related to sleep apnea:

• Sudden death
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Automobile accidents
• Lack of attentiveness

Fortunately, all is not lost, even for that person trying to put up with severe sleep apnea. You only need to book an appointment with your doctor, who will examine your condition and recommend the best sleep apnea treatments. That said, brace yourself for any of the following sleep apnea treatments options.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Suitable for those experiencing mild cases of sleep apnea, behavioral therapy is universally accepted as one of the best ways to treat sleep apnea. Many patients prefer the therapy mainly because it does not involve use of complicated breathing machines like the sleep apnea mouth guard. It is also less costly and effective.

• Weight Loss

You may not know it but just 10% drop in weight can make a significant different in the quality of an apneic patient’s sleep. The logic behind this treatment option is simple. Excess fat enlarges sensitive tissues on the back of your throat. This causes excessive fibrillation and closure of the air passage while sleeping. Losing weight can either reduce or get rid of the enlarged tissues. Your air passage will then be freed and before you know it, your apnea and snoring episodes will be a thing of the past.

• Quitting on Bad Habits

Reduce how often you ingest the following:

• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Sleeping pills
• Sedatives

Again, the logic here is simple. Reducing how often you consume the said substances will reduce inflammation of the throat and ultimately stop snoring or prevent sleep apnea from occurring. If terminating these habits seems like a farfetched dream to you, try as much as possible not to smoke, drink, swallow sleeping pills of consume sedatives before you sleep.

• Getting Off From Your Back

Switch from back-sleeping to sleeping on your side. This is actually one of the easiest sleep apnea treatments, so it shouldn’t bother you at all. Sleeping on your side prevents your tongue from moving towards the back of your throat. This keeps apnea episodes at bay and allows you to enjoy your sleep. To make the whole exercise simple, use a pillow to promote side sleeping or sew a tennis ball on the back of your sleeping shirt to keep your lying on your back through the night.

• Regulating Sleeping Time

Have a simple, regulated and consistent sleeping time. This way, your body will conform to crucial sleep stages without being disrupted. Then remember to have enough sleep time, which in most cases is nothing short of 8 hours.

• Other Treatment Options

There is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, otherwise known as CPAP. Then there are sleep apnea oral appliances like the already aforementioned mouth guard. All these are effective sleep apnea treatments but are somehow costly. What’s more, you may not need them should you seek medical assistance as soon as you notice the first symptom.

Conclusion

Sleep apnea can be easily treated during its toddler stages. With all sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no reason at all to put up with the condition. You just have to keep in touch with your doctor and understand how effective new sleep apnea treatments are. Then practice healthy eating habits and start enjoying a restful sleep.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, your health care provider must have recommended one of several dental appliances. They may have offered you some relief or worst of all, done nothing in your bid to enjoy your sleep. Truth is, sleep apnea solutions that come in the shape of dental appliances are not 100 % effective. But given the harsh reality that other alternatives are expensive and surgery is frightening, dental appliances are always worth a try. That’s why it’s always good to know a thing or two about the most common dental appliances used to get rid or rather suppress sleep apnea.

Common Devices

As already hinted, there are several types of dental sleep apnea solutions that your doctor may recommend. It all depends with your condition and how bad it is. There are, however, two devices that always stand out:

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine …(CPAP)
• Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)

CPAP

Unlike its name, the device is not that complicated. Some patients have had so much success with and capped it as one of the best sleep apnea solutions. It works by forcing air in and out of your lungs and preventing any interruption of breath. Sadly, it has its flaws just like other devices used for the same purpose. CPAP is:

• Costly
• Uncomfortable

Apart from these two flaws, there’s nothing really bad with CPAP. It doesn’t hurt a trifle to note that the discomfort associated with it is primarily because of the mask that has to be worn with the device. You can however get used to the mask within a couple of days.

MAD

It has a splint that works by keeping your tongue in a flat state. That way, it cannot obstruct how you breathe. The device also forces your lower jaw back and keeps the airwaves wide open. It’s very easy to use and get used to.

Which Device is Better?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to answer that. It all depends on the main cause of your sleep apnea. You doctor will have to find out more about the cause and choose a perfect solution between the two or other devices.

Other Remedies

There are of course, alternative remedies which seem to be more effective than conventional sleep apnea solutions. It should, however, be noted that for any solution out there, your doctor must first approve your choice. This is precisely because obstructive sleep apnea, which needless to say, is the most common form of sleep apnea, calls for different and less sophisticated natural sleep apnea solutions than its counterpart central sleep apnea. Surprisingly, the best obstructive sleep apnea solutions come in the form of divorcing some habits like:

• Smoking
• Heavy drinking
• Poor eating habits

The sleep apnea mouth guard is also another great remedy. It has come to the rescue of many patients, thanks to its availability in most stores and its affordability. It should however be noted that even for patients who consider the mouth guard as the ultimate solution, the doctor’s word is always final. In any case, there could be a more dangerous, underlying problem disguising itself as sleep apnea. The only way to know is to book that appointment with your doctor.

Conclusion

You don’t have to spend a lot on sleep apnea solutions. All you need is to stick to what your doctor tells you. Then quit any habit that encourages the condition. You never know, your love for the bottle could be the only link between you and your condition. Keep off the bottle or any habit that hinders sound sleep and you could just forget about sleep apnea remedies and solutions completely.

Sleep apnea is not life threatening; but severe sleep apnea is. Surprisingly, many do to recognize the condition as a medical problem, because many of its symptoms are part of and parcel of modern life. After all, loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime sleepiness can be the aftermath of a night spent out clubbing. That is exactly why the lesser known symptoms of severe obstructive sleep apnea are crucial when it comes to finding a lasting solution. Keep in mind that not all patients often portray what is considered as common symptoms. That said, schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Frequent night urination
• Morning headaches
• Swollen legs
• Memory Issues

Frequent Night Urination

Of all the said symptoms, this one is evidently the most disturbing one. For a layman, it is hard to understand how the symptom is linked with sleep apnea. However, a brief look into it reveals how it has everything to do with severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder associated with breathing challenges or if you may, difficulties. More often than not, it is caused by obstructed sleep disorder. Other times, it is caused by what doctors refer to as the central sleep disorder, which is an actual cessation of breathing. These two symptoms can be present at any given time, a condition known as mixed sleep apnea. This is where frequent night urination comes into the picture. Because regular awakening keep your body in a more alert, active state, your kidneys will go on creating waste at an unusual rate.

Morning Migraines

This is where women get confused and mistake the symptom for pregnancy. Chronic sleep apnea can easily cause morning headaches. The reason is simple. Hours of breathing difficulty at night simply starves your brain of enough oxygen. This then leads to headaches. Fortunately, these headaches have high chances of getting a treatment in the form of a breathing assistance method known as the continuous nasal positive airway pressure.

Swollen Legs

This is by far the most common among the symptoms of severe sleep apnea. It is a reliable pointer for chronic sleep apnea when linked with weight disorders like obesity. Again, the urgent need for oxygen is the chief cause. When your body is deprived of enough oxygen, blow flow concentrates on one area, on the central regions of your body. This goes an extra mile to protect your vital organs in such extreme times. Fluids then pool and result in sharp and painful aches on your legs. Like you may have already guessed, this can be a dangerous symptom. It can also indicate other life threatening conditions like respiratory or heart failure.

Memory Issues

This one goes down as a hard-to-notice symptom. Sleep apnea patients are often unaware of the condition as it happens when they’re asleep or rather trying to fall asleep. That is why it is easy to brush aside the symptom as a way of old age catching up with you. The symptom can however be as dangerous as swollen legs. How so? Research conducted by neuroscientists from UCLA indicates that sleep apnea patients lose mass, precisely in areas referred to as by doctors as mammilliary bodies. The structures are part of the human limbic system responsible for processing of recognition memory. In simple terms, it is a form of brain damage.

Conclusion

Be on the lookout for severe sleep apnea symptoms. Then seek immediate severe sleep apnea treatment as soon as you suspect the condition is responsible for many of your sleepless nights. Treating the condition at its toddler stages is often simple and less costly. You may only need a sleep apnea mouth guard, which is easy to put up with. The story can however be quite different should you ignore the said symptoms and give the condition the green light to progress to more complicated stages.

Looking for information on sleep apnea surgery and other treatment options? Then you have come to the right place. Read on to find out more about the sleep apnea surgery and mouth guard treatment methods used to deal with sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Surgery

 Surgery is mostly used to deal with obstructive sleep apnea. Although there are other cheaper options such as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), your doctor may suggest you undergo surgery.

 However, since obstructive sleep apnea surgery is so expensive and risky, it is important that you get this advice from the best doctor within reach. An otolaryngologist will examine your throat, mouth and nose to detect the exact source of the problem before you start on the surgical procedures.

Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

 Mouth guards are useful for those who find no relief from CPAP machines. Currently, there are a number of oral appliance therapies you can use to treat this condition. They include:

• Fixed jaw snore guard
• Adjustable jaw guard
• Tongue retainer

 Talk to your orthodontist or dentist to choose the best mouthpiece for your sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Surgery Cost 

There are different procedures used for dealing with sleep apnea surgically. The cost for each procedure varies. For instance, Uvupalatopharyngoplasty (UPP) costs between $5,000 and $10,000.

 On the other hand, when laser surgery is performed as a sleep apnea treatment, it would cost between $1,000 and $1,500. Of course, these costs depend on the kind of procedures to be performed.

Some health insurance companies and policies cover these surgical procedures while others do not. Ensure you check with your insurer to determine whether you are covered (and to which level the insurance cover applies).

 Sleep Apnea Surgery Options

 The most common surgery options for dealing with sleep apnea include:

• UvulopalatopharyngoplastyThis is the most commonly used operation to deal with obstructive sleep apnea. It removed your adenoids, tonsils, ovula (the tissue hanging at the back of the mouth close to the roof) and a part of your mouth’s roof. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, this surgery option has an average success rate of around 40 %.
• TracheotomyTracheotomy is mostly used among patients with serious apnea conditions and who do not respond to alternative treatments. This procedure creates a hole within the windpipe or trachea to improve your breathing patterns. Although it is the most effective surgery option for dealing with sleep apnea, it also requires careful daily maintenance and cleaning.
• Tongue SurgeryThis includes lingualplasty and laser midline glossectomy. Both of them remove part of the tongue with a view to clear up the breathing path while lessening sleep apnea symptoms.
• Jaw SurgeryAlso referred to as maxillomandibular osteotomy (MMO), jaw surgery moves the jaw forward with a view to enlarge the airway. MMO and other surgical procedures like genioglossal advancement with hyoid myotomy (GAHM) require highly skilled surgeons. They also have higher success rates.
• Facial ReconstructionThis surgical procedure repositions the facial bones. The bones around the tongue are enlarged to create greater pull at the base of the tongue, thus enlarging the airway. Usually, this procedure needs to be repeated severally for it to be effective in the long term.

• TonsillectomyThis is commonly used to treat sleep apnea in children. Tonsils, which are located at the back of the throat, are usually to blame for cause this condition in children. In case they enlarge, they will block the airway during sleep. Thus tonsillectomy removes the tonsils to improve sleeping patterns in children.
• AdenoidectomyThis is another type of surgery used to deal with sleep apnea in kids. Adenoids are to be found inside the throat on each side, right behind the roof of the mouth and the nose. They also enlarge like tonsils, thereby obstructing the airway. Through adenoidectomy, the enlarged adenoids will be removed for a seamless sleeping experience.

Additional Tips 

You should choose a treatment depending on advice from your doctor, your workable budget and the severity of the sleep acne. Check with your insurer to determine what you can afford. However, if your doctor is serious and adamant that you undergo surgery, look for available options to afford the most recommended procedure. After all, sleep apnea can sometimes lead to other fatal situations.