Sleep Apnea Relief Procedures

Various procedures exist to relieve sleep apnea, including changing diet and exercise, radiofrequency ablation, CPAP, and adaptive servo-ventilation. Each method has its pros and cons. Before deciding on a surgical procedure, visit dentist Lethbridge or consider the following:

Changes in diet and exercise

Changing your diet and increasing your physical activity is one way to improve your sleep. Exercise helps burn fat in the upper airways, and experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or about one-half hour of walking or jogging five times a week. Exercise can also help improve your overall health and reduce your risk of heart disease. While there is not enough research to know whether it can help with sleep apnea, exercise can benefit you.

In addition to oral appliances, changes in diet and exercise can improve sleep apnea symptoms. The first of these lifestyle changes is changing your diet. Many people suffer from sleep apnea because of their weight. Losing weight can help reduce the symptoms and improve your health. Losing weight can even reverse the effects of sleep apnea for some people.

Radiofrequency ablation

A review of studies using radiofrequency ablation for sleep apnoea relief concluded that the procedure is a valid option for treating obstructive sleep apnoea. Although they did not state how many reviewers were involved, the study results were consistent: the average reduction in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was 31%, with a 95% confidence interval. In addition, the radiofrequency ablation procedure decreased the overall obstructive sleep apnea severity score by 33% and the respiratory disturbance index by 15%, with an average improvement of four to six episodes per night.

The new protocol for sleep apnea relief has several key advantages: the patient receives more radiofrequency energy per treatment, and the procedure is well tolerated in the office. There is also ample healing time between treatments, making it ideal for patients who are unable to take the time to recover from previous surgeries. Patients also experience fewer complications and side effects. In addition, several patients may benefit from more than one treatment to get the best results.

Adaptive servo-ventilation

A newer non-invasive treatment for sleep apnea is adaptive servo-ventilation or ASV. Similar to continuous positive air pressure devices, ASV responds to a person's breathing patterns during sleep, adjusting air pressure to keep the patient breathing usually. A doctor programs the device to provide air pressure at certain intervals during the night. ASV has innovative technology, which means it can change the amount and frequency of air pressure to help the patient generally breathe at night.

Because of its advantages, ASV is not for every patient with sleep apnea. Specific risks must be considered, and some individuals may not respond well to this treatment. The risk of side effects is high in some patients. In addition, patients with severe heart failure should not undergo ASV. The technology requires close consultation with a patient's physician and must be approved by the medical director of the patient's care facility before the procedure can begin.

CPAP

If you are looking for CPAP for sleep apnoea relief, your physician will prescribe a machine to help you breathe more easily while you sleep. The sleep technologist or a computerized PAP machine determines the ideal pressure level. Unfortunately, increasing the pressure level may not be enough for some patients. Still, auto-titration CPAP machines use automated algorithms and pressure transducer sensors to adjust the pressure automatically as you sleep.

The benefits of using a CPAP machine for sleep apnea relief are numerous, but perhaps the most prominent advantage is the reduced risk of a car crash. Sleep apnea patients struggle to remain alert while driving without proper treatment, which can increase the risk of a fatal crash. However, CPAP therapy can help restore standard sleep patterns and improve total sleep time. Furthermore, it can also boost energy levels throughout the day, so if you're experiencing increased daytime sleepiness, a CPAP machine may be just what you need.