Are you suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), that’s interrupting your life? Are you struggling to function during the day, and struggling to remember stuff?
It’s time to seek help so that you can have a better night’s sleep and function better throughout the day.
Leaving sleep apnoea unchecked, can lead to not only the feeling of being restless and exhausted but also numerous other health issues such as increasing the risk of heart failure and mental health issues.
This is why OSA should be treated. It’s important to not only seek treatment but to also live a healthy and active lifestyle to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnoea.
Treatments for sleep apnoea
At Dental Sleep Medicine, in collaboration with sleep Specialists, multiple forms of treatment can be offered that can reduce the symptoms of sleep apnoea and have you achieving a better, deeper sleep.
However, not every patient requires the same treatment, and so a home sleep study will have to be done. A home sleep study can either be done in a sleep unit, or in the comfort of your own home.
This sleep study uses a series of monitors to measure your breathing, heart rate, leg movements, snoring and overall sleep efficiency. The collected data is used to diagnose sleep apnoea and provide the most suitable treatment.
Treatments for sleep apnoea, include the following:
Oventus O2Vent Optima
A custom-made oral mouthguard which allows a person’s natural airflow to pass all obstructions such as the tongue, nose and soft palate and exits the device right into the back of the throat.
The O2Vent also slightly shifts the mandible and tongue forward which promotes an open airway, which helps prevent collapsibility of the airway.
Advancement of the tongue and mandible, when paired with airflow which passes all obstructions inside the mouth, allows for better breathing, which helps to prevent sleep apnoeas.
Use the diagram below, to understand the design and process of the O2Vent.
CPAP Machine
The CPAP machine is the pioneer in treating sleep apnoea. This form of treatment has been around for many decades and has helped millions of patients have a better and deeper sleep.
CPAP treatment uses a positive air pressure to prevent throat muscles from relaxing and causing a collapse, ultimately helping to keep the airway open.
The air pressure is produced within a box pump unit which then supplies the air through tubes up into the mask that the patient is wearing while asleep.
This treatment reduces the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea but does not cure it. The device is also rejected by many patients due to the annoyance of wearing a mask and having an unnatural airflow. Many patients find it difficult to fall asleep and even stay asleep.
Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS)
This device is custom made and the purpose is to pull the lower mandible forwards ever so gently, to reduce the tendency for the tongue to slip back during sleep.
When the tongue slips back, it causes an obstruction to your breathing, which is why this device is designed to prevent this from occurring.
Generally, this form of treatment is only for patients suffering from mild to moderate sleep apnoea, and those who are suffering from a receding bottom jaw and find sleep apnoea relief by laying on their side.
Whether it’s the O2Vent, CPAP or MAS device, they all are designed to treat the symptoms of sleep apnoea and are all designed to act differently. No one treatment will be the most suitable for every patient, which is why the home sleep study must be carried out to figure out the symptoms.
These symptoms are used to diagnose sleep apnoea and the most probable causes, leading to treatment recommendations.
Sleep apnoea treatment from Dental Sleep Medicine, Cairns
If you or someone you know is suffering from OSA, Dental Sleep Medicine can help you, from diagnosis to treatment of sleep apnoea.
Our team can help you have a deeper sleep, which will lead to more productivity at work or school and a more lively feeling during the day.
For more information or to book in for an appointment, please contact us.