If you are suffering from sleep apnea, then your life is never easy. After a hard day of work, when your body feels tired and it can use some sleep, you wake up gasping for air several times in the night. Your partner or loved ones are tired of your snoring too. And in the morning all your tiredness returns because you didn’t get the sleep you needed. So, getting sleep apnea treatment is a must for you. But what if you don’t want the CPAP?
CPAP is considered to be the standard treatment for sleep apnea disorder. The CPAP machine delivers concentrated oxygen through the mask that will offer the patient enough oxygen preventing them from waking up gasping for breath. However, being hooked to a machine and mask while you sleep can be uncomfortable. And it is natural that you might want to look for other treatment options for yourself. At Rolle Oral and Facial Surgery, you will get some more alternatives too for your sleep apnea. Take a look.
Oral Device for OSP
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea and can be dealt with other minimally or non-invasive options too other than CPAP. Oral devices have proven to be helpful in this matter too. It is less expensive and completely non-invasive. In fact, you can go for oral devices for the following benefits,
- These appliances are easy to wear
- This is completely non-invasive way and far more comfortable than the CPAP mask
- These appliances are known for improvement in sleep apnea symptoms which includes oxygen saturation and also daytime sleepiness
- If you are traveling, then oral appliances are a very convenient option
- It has a higher compliance rate than CPAP
Surgery for Sleep Apnea
If you are looking for an alternative for CPAP, then probably it is not so effective for you. And that is where Dr. Richard Rolle Jr. might decide to go for the surgery. At Rolle Oral and Facial Surgery, then go for UvuloPalato Pharyngo-Plasty or UPPP surgery. You can also find some other surgical options too. The surgery aims at reducing or eliminating the extra tissue in the throat of the patient that blocks and collapses on the airway at the time of sleep. The surgery is not so complex and will involve areas like
- Soft palate and uvula
- Tongue
- Tonsils
- Upper and lower jaw
If you are at this clinic or any other clinic, then you need to ask your surgeon why the surgery is a better option than CPAP and how it is going to offer you some improvements. You also need to be aware of the side effects of the surgery.
There are some other aspects of the surgery that will require you to be prepared beforehand:
- The surgery will be invasive and as a result, it will be painful
- You will experience bleeding and throat swelling right after the surgery or later
- You will require to stay in the hospital bed for one day at least
- Your jaws will be wired shut to promote healing
- You will have a limited diet for the next several days
Diet and Weight Management
Changing your diet and food habit can help you reduce the complications of sleep apnea while also helping you lose weight that is probably indirectly contributing to your sleep apnea. The Mediterranean diet including olive oil, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish and legumes can help you with sleep apnea. Cut on the fatty meat like pork, sausage or beef and replace it with fish as it will also offer many other benefits. You will need to limit dairy products as that will increase mucous production that can contribute to sleep apnea. Food that offers a lot of melatonin like oats, nuts, grapes, pomegranates and barley can help you get more sleep.
Consider these options to be alternatives to CPAP and go for the one that will suit you the best. Dr. Richard Rolle Jr. is a great sleep apnea doctor who can help you enhance your quality of life.
