how to treat sleep apnea

What Is Sleep Apnea And What Are The Popular Options On How To Treat Sleep Apnea?

Sleep is an important part of one’s daily routine. Why? Because it helps in keeping one’s health in place and in making one’s brain work smoothly. However, there can be many things that can ruin sleep, like, sleep apnea.

This is a major issue with many people around the globe. Whether it is obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea, it is majorly caused due to a lack of air in the body while sleeping. This is caused mostly due to the narrowing of the airways while one is sleeping, causing one to wake up several times in a night disrupting a proper sleep. This is the reason why one should see a doctor immediately to learn, how to treat sleep apnea.

Reasons behind sleep apnea

Some of the factors which causes sleep apnea are listed below:

  • If the person has a thick neck, it can cause the airways to get narrow and this can cause sleep apnea.
  • Excessive weight and obesity can cause airways to get narrow due to fat deposition.
  • If there is a family history of sleep apnea, then it can be a legit cause too.
  • People who smoke they tend to have more fluid retention in the airways, which can cause sleep apnea
  • If a person has adenoids or tonsils, that can also make the airways narrow.
  • Male are also are more at risk fo getting sleep apnea than women.

how to treat sleep apnea

Symptoms of sleep apnea

Some of the show signs that a person is suffering from sleep apnea are:

  1. Very loud snoring while sleeping
  2. Gasping and choking in mid of sleep and waking up
  3. Stopped breathing while sleeping
  4. High blood pressure/ hypertension
  5. Morning headache
  6. Sleepiness during the day
  7. Sweating while sleeping
  8. Irritation and depression during the day

Sometimes, these symptoms can be on the lower side and thus may not harm one’s daily routine. However, one should consult a doctor immediately if one experiences episodes of breathlessness while sleeping, excessive snoring to wake others, or excessive drowsiness during the day.

Treatments of sleep apnea

Today, with excessive research and medical advancement, there are several types of sleep apnea treatments. One will have to consult a specialist who will after diagnosing the disorder, can help in finding the right treatment for the patient with the right

Some of the treatment options are:

  1. Oral pressure therapy: this is standard treatment type, in which there is a small mouthpiece fitted to the patient’s mouth with a vacuum console and tube. vacuum repositioning keeps the airways open.
  2. Positive airway pressure therapy: this is for severe OSA, as here is a mask that pumps pressurized air into the airways of the patient to keep it open.
  3. Oral appliances: these are dentists fitted appliances that move the lower jaw and tongue upward and forward to make the airway more op
  4. Behavioral treatments: these are mostly for moderate OSA cases, in which changing one’s lifestyle can make a change like avoiding alcohol, smoking, losing weight, etc.
  5. EPAP (expiratory positive airway pressure): in this, there are adhesive valves placed on the nose which creates positive air pressure to keep the nasal airways open.

Final words

Sleep apnea is a serious issue and it can cause severe damage to one’s health and mind. Therefore, one must pay attention to the tell-tale signs of sleep apnea and get it treated in time with the help of a sleep expert.