Surgical Treatment To Sleep Apnea Sleep apnea is a rather common yet often undiagnosed condition wherein there are instances of shallow or infrequent breathing during sleep. This condition leads to a trouble in your sleep, resulting in exhaustion or sleepiness during the day. Treating Sleep Apnea There are two main goals of treating sleep apnea. The first is to recover regular breathing during sleep, and the second is to avoid loud loud night breathing (a common sign of the disorder) and daytime sleepiness. Exactly how Sleep Apnea Can Be Handled Lifestyle Change If you have a mild case of sleep apnea, a lifestyle change may be all that you require to treat this problem. Some of the life-style changes you can make include: Avoiding alcohol and the intake of sleeping tablets Stopping the awful habit of smoking Losing weight Sleeping on your side instead of on your back as the latter can make it harder for your throat to stay open while you sleep Mouthpieces A mouthpiece, also known as an oral appliance, is another treatment for a mild case of sleep apnea. Doctors would also suggest you wear a mouth piece if you snore loudly even if you dont have sleep apnea. In the treatment of sleep apnea, you will be wearing a Customized-fit plastic mouthpiece that is specially designed to adjust your tongue and lower jaw to keep your airways open while youre sleeping. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP This type of treatment comes with the use of CPAP masks. The mask is worn over the mouth or nose while you sleep. It is connected to a device that supplies a continuous flow of air, which passes from the device to the mask through a tube. CPAP is the one sleep apnea treatment that is most suggested by physicians. Surgical treatment The more invasive alternative of surgical treatment for sleep apnea is performed on patients with a deviated septum, smaller lower jaw with an overbite, or bigger tonsils that narrow the breathing
passages. Surgical treatment to correct the causes of sleep apnea involves shrinking, stiffening, or removing extra tissue, or resetting the lower jaw to widen air passages. The 3 most common surgeries performed on sleep apnea patients are the following: Nasal Surgery to correct a deviated septum Mandibular maxillar advancement surgery to eliminate throat obstructions Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty to eliminate extra tissue on the back of the palette and throat