Tired Of Wearing Your Cpap Or Bipap Machine? 2 Alternative Treatment Options To Ask Your Doctor About
If you are like many people who suffer from sleep apnea, you likely loved that you could finally get a good night's sleep after your doctor prescribed and fitted you with your CPAP or BiPAP machine. However, over time, you may have grown tired of having to use the machine every night and may even skip it on some nights when you know you shouldn't.
While your ENT specialist will make the final recommendation as to what other sleep apnea treatment options are right for you, read on to learn about CPAP and BiPAP alternatives that often make life easier for sleep apnea sufferers.
1. Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances
While some ENT specialists have patients first try sleep apnea oral appliances before prescribing CPAP or BiPAP machines, if you haven't yet tried one, then ask your doctor if there is one that may work well for you.
A sleep apnea oral appliance is similar in appearance to a mouth guard worn when playing sports, but serves a different function. When placed in your mouth, it re-positions your jaw slightly to help keep your airways open all night long.
Aside from just feeling different than the CPAP or BiPAP machine you have grown tired of using, these appliances are small and portable, which makes them great for use when traveling.
2. Sleep Apnea Surgery
If you have already tried sleep apnea oral appliances or your doctor does not think one will work for you, then it may be time to consider your sleep apnea surgery options. Depending on the severity of your sleep apnea, the right surgical sleep apnea procedure can allow you to switch from a CPAP to an oral appliance after reducing the severity of your sleep apnea or even allow you to finally get a good night's sleep without having to wear any type of sleep apnea device.
There are actually 10 sleep apnea procedures offered to patients who suffer from the sleep disorder, and a good ENT specialist can decide which procedure or combination of procedures will help eliminate your sleep disorder for good.
One relatively common sleep apnea procedure is called a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP. During this procedure, excess tissue is removed from the area in the back of the roof of your mouth called your "soft palate." Some doctors also opt to remove tonsils during this procedure and/or trim the small piece of tissue that hangs in the back of your throat called your uvula.
Along with other procedure options that focus on removing and/or tightening tissues in the back of your throat to help keep your airways open while you sleep, some sleep apnea procedures focus on opening up your nasal passages or slightly re-positioning your jaw to further improve your breathing while you sleep.
If you are tired of wearing your CPAP or BiPAP machine every night you want to get a good night's sleep due to being a sleep apnea sufferer, realize that there are other sleep apnea treatment options that you can discuss with your ENT specialist. The right sleep apnea procedure or combination of procedures may even eliminate your sleep disorder altogether.