Beware! The effects of sleep apnea can be devastating. Something as innocent as snoring can lead to sleep apnea, and this in turn can lead to major health problems. Notice how one thing can lead to another? If you are ever short of breath at night and feel tired in the morning, then pay a little more attention to your health. You may be suffering from the effects of sleep apnea. In the accompanying article, the author has neatly classified treatment into 3 major categories. Learn how these different types of treatment can help to contain the negative effects of sleep apnea. The 3 categories of treatment include physical or mechanical therapy, surgery and non-specific therapy like behavioral changes. In cases that are not so serious, you’ll be surprised to learn that behavioral changes can help contain this disorder. However, the best advice would be to consult your doctor and discuss the treatment options available before making a decision.

This article would not be able to issue a cure for sleep apnea but it can highlight some solutions you can go to get rid of it!

The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." So, in a nutshell sleep apnea means sleeping without breathing.

People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.

There are three solutions used effectively to reduce the effects of sleep apnea.

1. Physical or Mechanical Therapy

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common effective treatment for sleep apnea. In this procedure, the patient wears a mask over the nose during sleep, and pressure from an air blower forces air through the nasal passages. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep. The pressure is constant and continuous. Nasal CPAP prevents airway closure while in use, but apnea episodes return when CPAP is stopped or it is used improperly.

2. Surgery Some patients with sleep apnea may need surgery. Although several surgical procedures are used to increase the size of the airway, none of them is completely successful or without risks. More than one procedure may need to be tried before the patient realizes any benefits.

Some of the more common procedures include removal of adenoids and tonsils (especially in children), nasal polyps or other growths, or other tissue in the airway and correction of structural deformities. Younger patients seem to benefit from these surgical procedures more than older patients.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure used to remove excess tissue at the back of the throat (tonsils, uvula, and part of the soft palate). The success of this technique may range from 30 to 60 percent. The long-term side effects and benefits are not known, and it is difficult to predict which patients will do well with this procedure.

Somnoplasty is a procedure that uses radio-waves to reduce the size of some airway structures such as the uvula and the back of the tongue. This technique is being investigated as a treatment for apnea.

3. Non-specific Therapy Behavioural changes are an important part of the treatment program, and in mild cases behavioural therapy may be all that is needed. Overweight persons can benefit from losing weight. Even a 10 percent weight loss can reduce the number of apneic events for most patients. Individuals with apnea should avoid the use of alcohol and sleeping pills, which make the airway more likely to collapse during sleep and prolong the apneic periods. In some patients with mild sleep apnea, breathing pauses occur only when they sleep on their backs. In such cases, using pillows and other devices that help them sleep in a side position may be helpful.
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These three solutions are information on what can be done to reduce sleep apnea effect, to better your knowledge in this area.. To really cure your sleep apnea, you would still need to consult a doctor.

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