Sleep Apnea Treatment
Anyone Can Get Sleep Apnea
… regardless of the age, sex or other factors. However there are certain factors that are associated with this condition. If you are overweight, male, older than 65 years old and a smoker, then you are at a greater risk of developing this disorder.
There are also other factors such as having a thick neck, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, receding chin and some other physical conditions that can also increase risk of developing the disorder.
Life-Style Changes
There are certain things that you can do yourself to improve or treat this condition. The most important thing is to make a few changes in your current lifestyle.
The best thing you can do is to lose weight, because even the small amount of weight lost can improve sleep apnea. You should also quit smoking. It has been proven that smoking is increasing inflammation in the throat. Try to avoid alcohol, sedatives and sleeping pills, as well as caffeine and heavy meals. You should also be sticking to a sleep schedule, as when you get plenty of sleep, occurrence of apnea episodes will decrease.
Medical and Other Sleep Apnea Treatments
In case of a light case of sleep apnea, making changes in your lifestyle should help, however in moderate or secure cases, especially if you have tried those options, you should see a doctor, as only a sleep specialist can have a look at your symptoms and also make sure that you get the effective treatment that really helps.
In many cases a medicine called Provigil (generic name Modafinil, Modalert) will be prescribed to treat:
- Excessive sleepiness
- Balance sleep-wake cycle
- Improve alertness and wakefulness
There is also a device called CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) that provides a stream of air that keeps the passages of breathing open during the sleep. These devices are a tissue box size, and they are being constantly improved, and it is a fact, that once you start using it, more than likely you will feel much better and more energetic.
Surgery is another option for severe cases of sleep apnea, and it should be considered when other options are exhausted. This method improves the airway size, which will reduce the sleep apnea episodes.
There are also dental devices that can help in some cases, so check with a doctor to find out more about them.
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