ARE YOU A CPAP HATER?
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been the most common treatment for sleep apnea for a long time. However, CPAP is not always effective or tolerable for sleep disorder patients and there are alternatives. You’re not alone if you hate it! In many cases, there are alternatives. It’s just a matter of working out what is best for you.
CPAP: WHY DO PEOPLE HATE IT SO MUCH?
CPAP requires patients to wear a mask strapped to their head each time they sleep. This mask is connected by a flexible plastic hose to a machine that pumps air into the airway at a pressure set by a sleep specialist. Some newer CPAP variations include features such as automatic pressure variation during exhalation and breathing pauses.
The newer CPAP types are intolerable to many patients as patients often take a long time to adjust to sleeping while wearing the mask and having air being blown into their airway. As a result, many patients eventually quit using CPAP. This illustrates the value of alternative treatments that are better tolerated and more effective.
In many cases, simple lifestyle adjustments improve symptoms of mild sleep apnea. These include keeping the bedroom cool at night, eating dinner long before bedtime and avoiding alcohol late in the day. Patients with more severe sleep apnea also have a number of options including oral appliances, which work by keeping the tongue, soft palate and jaw from collapsing backward during sleep. Soft tissue removal surgery improves air flow by eliminating excess tissue from the sides of the airway.
Over time, we can make incremental adjustments to increase the comfort and effectiveness of your SomnoDent® appliance. Most patients only need a couple of nights to adjust to the device before they are finally enjoying a full night’s sleep again.
GET TREATED FOR SLEEP APNEA IN SANTA MONICA
CPAP alternatives are available at Brightleaf Dental in Santa Monica. Before beginning treatment, we diagnose patients using the latest equipment. Afterwards, we review treatment options so that patients understand what is involved as they make decisions about their treatment. Because the newer treatments are better tolerated than CPAP, more patients can count on having long-term improvements of their sleep quality without the inconvenience and discomfort of CPAP.
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