What is the Breakthrough for Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a popular sleep disorder characterized by consistent and involuntary breathing pauses when sleeping. A common symptom associated with sleep apnea is snoring loudly and feeling tired despite having enough sleep. There are several types of sleep apnea. They include:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type, and it occurs when the throat muscles that control the airflow relax involuntarily.
- Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send correct signals to the muscles that control airway passage.
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.
If you notice the slightest symptoms, visit a sleep specialist in 95610 or a sleep doctor in 95610. Sacramento Natural Dentistry offer sleep apnea treatment in Citrus Heights. It’s best to visit them and get professional treatment.
Symptoms
It would be best to observe several symptoms to ascertain whether you need to visit a sleep clinic. Once you visit the doctor, you can get the correct diagnosis and start treatment immediately. They include:
- Gasping for air when sleeping
- Morning headache
- Loud snoring
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Hypersomnia
- Temporal halts in the breathing during sleep
Treatment for Sleep Apnea
There are numerous possibilities for treating sleep apnea. They include both home remedies as well as clinical ones. The home remedies include maintaining a healthy weight, changing the sleep position, exercising (jogging, yoga), using a humidifier, and quitting smoking and alcohol.
On the other hand, clinical options include using supplemental oxygen, treatment of underlying problems, adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV), oral appliances, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). In rare cases, you may need surgery. Various surgeries to treat sleep apnea include tissue shrinkage, nerve stimulation, implants, tissue removal, jaw repositioning, and creating a new air passageway.
A continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine (CPAP) is the most common device utilized by sleep specialists for treating sleep apnea. However, it is also not 100% effective and usually fails at some point. It has led medical researchers and sleep specialists to seek new, more effective treatment options.
How Long Does It Take for Sleep Apnea Treatment to Work?
Different treatments take different times to manifest. However, for most treatments, patients notice positive results on the first night, particularly the CPAP therapy machine. Significant results take time, and several factors affect the time it takes to view results—however, new advancements in sleep apnea treatment promise to offer results within a short period.
New Breakthrough for Sleep Apnea Treatment
Implantable Devices
Unlike many other treatment methods, implantable devices stimulate the nerves of the muscles that control the tongue, ensuring it remains open when sleeping. The device is tiny and goes beneath the skin around the chest. The procedure is straightforward. Specialists implant the device in a single visit, and the patients go home on the same day.
The implantable device involves a sensor, a tiny generator, and a stimulation lead. It delivers mild stimulation to the muscles that control the airway, thus keeping it open during sleep. They can surgically insert it in an outpatient procedure.
Once the device is implanted, the patient turns it on with a small remote when they want to sleep, particularly at night. The device also monitors your breathing during your sleep. It is ideal for patients with moderate to severe OSA. Also, it’s super beneficial to patients whose CPAP machines have failed to yield substantial success. Also, it is right for patients above 22 years and not overweight.
This device has been proven to reduce sleep apnea and has positive reviews regarding therapy adherence and satisfaction through clinical trials. After placing the implant, patients experience mild pain and swelling, which disappears after a few days. After the implant procedure, patients return to the dentist to have the stimulation of personalized settings.
Wearable Mouthpiece
Another interesting breakthrough concerning sleep apnea treatment is a wearable mouthpiece made of silicon. You wear it during the day for about 20 minutes. It’s ideal for patients with mild sleep apnea and aged 18 years. The device has four electrodes that deliver electrical pulses to the tongue muscles. The device takes time to stabilize the tongue to prevent it from collapsing and blocking the airway.
When you wear this device, you usually experience a slight tingling in the tongue. With time, you get used to it. Other side effects of this device are a metallic taste in the mouth, gagging, drooling, and discomfort in the teeth and tongue.
Conclusion
It would help if you were looking for signs and symptoms of sleep apnea. If you notice any, visit a sleep clinic in 95610 for proper diagnosis and recommendation on the best possible treatment—earlier treatment results in a higher success rate.