Sleep Apnea Treatments - Discover What Suits You Best

If you have been suffering with the debilitating effects of sleep apnea you are probably wondering what different things you can do to relieve the symptoms. Here are some of the most useful sleep apnea treatments.

Behavioral and lifestyle - losing weight can be important if you are obese or overweight. There is a positive correlation between obesity and sleep apnea, especially the size of a person's neck.

Sleeping on your side has also been beneficial to many sufferers. This makes it less likely that soft tissues at the back of the throat will block the airways. Many people don't realize that they spend part of the night on their backs, because they go to sleep on their sides and wake up on their side. But the average person moves position many times throughout the night including rolling onto their backs. There are special pillows that can help prevent you from doing this, or you can sew a tennis ball into the back of your pajamas.

CPAP - Continuous positive airway pressure is often the first line medical intervention that is made in cases of obstructive sleep apnea. This device revolutionized sleep apnea treatment when it was introduced in the early 1980's. CPAP prevents collapse of the patient's airway by providing air under positive pressure through a nasal or facial mask.

This treatment does take time for the patient to adjust to it. This may involve finding the most comfortable fit of mask and straps. Getting the correct air pressure is another factor that may need some trial and error before the correct setting is found.

Surgery - There are a number of surgical procedures that can help patients. These include removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids that maybe blocking the airways (tonsillectomy). This procedure is particularly effective for children. Another procedure called an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty maybe used to remove soft tissue at the back of the throat. In severe cases of sleep apnea a tracheostomy maybe considered. This is where an incision is made in the wind pipe (the trachea), which bypasses the obstruction.

You should talk over the relative risks and benefits of the different types of sleep apnea treatments with your doctor, prior to making a decision on which to choose.