Friday, March 12, 2010

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment And How Do You Treat It Without Surgical Options?

By Bruno Vigno

While obstructive sleep apnea treatment is important, the syndrome only impacts the lives of 2% of women and around 4% of men, living with the condition can be very difficult. Long term sleep problems can lead to personality changes, including irritability, dozing (especially while driving) without warning, body pain, fatigue, and headaches.

The sleeping partners of an obstructive sleep apnea victim can also find that they, too suffer the consequences of interrupted sleep. The display of symptoms upon waking can be significant enough to chronically wake a partner. As the airway collapses in on itself, the body responds naturally.

Since the obstruction removes the ability to breathe and get air into the system, the oxygen levels in the body continually fall. Eventually they get low enough that the brain is stimulated into waking. Waking up feels like choking. The victim will gasp for air and cough, trying to regulate the oxygen levels in the body.

Often the easiest way to solve the problem is to sleep on your side. Most of the back and stomach sleepers that experience this type of sleep disorder find that side sleeping is an easy, cheap cure.

Sleeping on one's side can be enough to prevent the collapse of the airway. If you struggle to maintain a side sleeping position, try placing a body pillow along your back to prevent rolling over in your sleep.

Some severe cases respond to medication, usually in the form of a nasal spray, which help prevent the airway collapse. There are specially made dental devices that can also be helpful. One of the better non-invasive therapies is known as CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure. You and your physician can figure out which of the treatment options is most suitable for your level of apnea.

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