How to Use Oral Appliance Therapy to Treat Sleep Apnea
More than 18 million adults have sleep apnea—a serious condition where breathing is interrupted throughout the night, raising the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and mood problems. But the good news is that there are ways to treat the condition. While using a CPAP machine is a popular treatment for sleep apnea, it isn't the only option. Oral appliance therapy may also help improve symptoms, sleep quality, and overall health.
An oral appliance looks like a cross between a mouth guard (there are plastic molds that fit over the teeth) and a retainer (it holds the mouth in a specific position). How does this help treat sleep apnea? The appliance holds the jaw slightly more forward and down than normal, which keeps the upper airway open, reduces snoring, and helps a person breathe freely through the night.
There are some pros and cons to oral appliance therapy. The device can be a lot more comfortable than a CPAP machine, meaning a person is likelier to stick with it over the long term. It’s also easy to travel with the device and it can be less expensive than a CPAP machine. That said, oral appliance therapy can’t help with every case of sleep apnea—it is better suited for more mild symptoms. A CPAP machine might still be needed for severe cases.
Your doctor will be able to tell you whether oral appliance therapy can help with your sleep apnea and if you’re a good candidate, a dentist can custom fit one to your mouth.
Learn more about how these medical devices can make a big difference in nighttime comfort for people with breathing issues.Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. Learn how to cope with this sleep-related breathing disorder.A frequent need to get up and go to the bathroom to urinate at night is called nocturia. It differs...How you feel about the sleep you get every night is known as sleep satisfaction. Unlike sleep quantity (which objectively...Of the approximately 90 million American adults who occasionally experience snoring, many think of it as simply an annoyance, or...Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—a disorder where blocked airways during sleep lead to disrupted breathing and excessive snoring —affects about 3...Sleep is restorative for the body and mind. But if you’re among the more than 18 million Americans who have...Snoring is a common part sleep for many people, and as annoying as it may be to those who hear...Excessive snoring isn’t just frustrating for those who have to listen to it—it could also be a health risk for...Sometimes snoring can sound like a light rustle. Other nights, it would seem there was an actual buzz saw under...
Source: Internet