Sleep Apnea Treatment Without Surgery or CPAP?
Sleep apnea treatment is something that most people have at the bottom of their to-do list. Whether it is fear of the unknown, not being ready to commit to a lifetime of using a CPAP machine, or not being ready to undergo surgery, there are many reasons why someone would put it off. There is a stigma surrounding sleep apnea that the person must be unhealthy or overweight, and treatment is also not a priority for most people because it happens when they are asleep and are unaware of its severity. If any of this sounds like you, you are not alone. There are many other ways to treat sleep apnea other than undergoing invasive surgery or committing to a lifetime of a loud, dangerous machine. Keep reading to learn more about sleep apnea treatment without surgery or a CPAP and how to get started today.
Do I Have Sleep Apnea?
Have you not formally been diagnosed with sleep apnea but suspect you have it? Is your partner constantly nagging you about snoring, pauses in breathing, or choking while sleeping? Perhaps you are feeling some of the daytime symptoms of sleep apnea?
Here are the hallmark symptoms of sleep apnea:
- Breathing that pauses during sleep
- Decreased sex drive
- Dry mouth in the morning
- Excessive daytime tiredness
- Frequent loud snoring
- Frequent night wakings
- Frequent trips to the bathroom at night to urinate
- Gasping during sleep
- Headaches first thing in the morning
- Irritability
- Problems with memory or focusing
- Sexual dysfunction
- Weight gain
If you experience these symptoms, there is a strong chance you are suffering from sleep apnea. This is a condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep and can prevent your body from getting enough oxygen.
There are two types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: With OSA, your upper airway becomes blocked many times while you sleep, reducing or completely stopping airflow. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Anything that could narrow your airway, such as obesity, large tonsils, or changes in your hormone levels, can increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Central sleep apnea: This occurs when the brain does not send the signals needed to breathe. Health conditions that affect how the brain controls the airway and chest muscles can cause central sleep apnea.
Health Risks Due to Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea isn’t just something that affects you while you sleep. It is a dangerous health condition that leads you to many other health risks. Sleep apnea does not go away on its own, it requires treatment in order to significantly lower your risk for the following health issues
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Other cardiovascular issues
- ALS
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Hormone issues
- Depression
- Dangers due to excessive daytime drowsiness
- Obesity
- Dementia
I Think I Have Sleep Apnea. What Do I Do?
If you are relating to the symptoms of sleep apnea and suspect you have it, it is important to talk to your doctor. You will likely be prescribed a sleep test to monitor your breathing, oxygen levels, and other sleeping habits for a few nights. Your doctor will assess the results of the sleep test and formally diagnose you with sleep apnea.
After you have been formally diagnosed, you may be presented with a few different treatment options. Depending on the root cause of your sleep apnea, such as an obstruction, you may be recommended surgery, a mouthpiece, or a CPAP machine. You can also meet with a sleep apnea specialist, such as Dr. Martin Gorman, to discuss other noninvasive treatment methods that do not involve surgery or a CPAP machine.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
Sleep apnea is different for everyone who experiences it. Whether it is due to your weight, lifestyle habits, the natural size of your tonsils, or hormone levels, everyone has a different path to take when it comes to sleep apnea treatment.
CPAP Machines
The reason CPAP machines are such a popular and common treatment for sleep apnea is that it works on everyone who experiences sleep apnea, regardless of the root cause. CPAP machines use pressure to force oxygen into the airway, allowing for a better night’s sleep, better oxygen levels in the brain, and eliminating the symptoms of sleep apnea.
There are many issues involved with using a CPAP machine, however. These include:
- It doesn’t treat the issue. CPAP machines should be looked at as a bandaid. They are not actually treating the root cause of the sleep apnea and require a lifetime commitment.
- They are inconvenient. CPAP machines are bulky, loud, difficult to travel with and require regular cleaning and maintenance. The sound of them may not be much better than your snoring for your partner, and a large mask strapped to your face is difficult to get used to.
- They have had dangerous recalls. There have been recent CPAP machine recalls that are dangerous. Longtime use of this machine puts you at a higher risk of experiencing an issue.
Lifestyle and Changes to Your Daily Routine
In some cases, sleep apnea symptoms can be reduced with little tweaks to your lifestyle and daily routine. Some of these changes include:
- Setting up a healthy sleep routine. Set your night’s sleep up for success with a healthy sleep routine. Avoid screens within an hour before sleep, use a white noise machine, use your bed or bedroom for sleeping only, and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
- Sleeping on your side. Studies have shown that sleeping on your back can significantly increase snoring and narrowing of the airways. Making an effort to sleep on your side can help this.
- Quitting smoking and drinking. Smoking and excessive alcohol use can worsen sleep quality, leading to more severe sleep apnea and sleep apnea symptoms.
- Losing weight. In some cases, sleep apnea is caused due to being overweight. If you are overweight, losing some excess weight will help open your airways and allow you to sleep better.
Surgery
In some severe cases, surgery may be the only way to clear your obstruction and allow you to have long-term success with sleep apnea treatment. Some examples that might require surgery include:
- Large tonsils
- Large adenoids
- Excessively large tissue in the mouth or throat
- Jaw that is misaligned
- Other natural anatomy issues
The Vivos Method
If you are looking for a non-invasive treatment method for sleep apnea that does not require the lifelong use of a CPAP machine, talk to us about The Vivos Method.
The Vivos Method benefits:
- Totally custom to you and your needs
- Works in an average of about 12 months
- Can treat severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea
At Gorman Health and Wellness, we are committed to finding our patients the best possible long-term treatment for sleep apnea issues. Our treatment employs a multidisciplinary plan that uses noninvasive, cost-effective oral appliance technology prescribed by our trained dentists and medical professionals to treat dentofacial abnormalities and/or mild-to-moderate OSA and snoring. In fact, our office is one of the very few in the Los Angeles area that prescribes it.
Improper development of the jaws and oral cavity can lead to an undersized airway where the tongue is more prone to fall into the back of the throat, causing the airway to collapse. By reshaping and expanding the oral cavity, your airway may also expand, allowing you to both breathe and sleep more deeply.
Non-Invasive Sleep Apnea Treatment with Gorman Health and Wellness
After you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, our Vivos-trained dentist, Dr Martin Gorman, will conduct a comprehensive evaluation, taking all relevant clinical records, in order to formulate a customized treatment plan. This treatment plan will likely include a number of integrative therapies that have been proven to ensure the best treatment outcomes.
Dr. Gorman is a part of the breathing wellness movement, which aims to increase awareness and improve treatment for sleep-related airway conditions like sleep apnea.
He has partnered with organizations focused on collaborating with dentists to apply the sciences of Craniofacial Epigenetics (the study of cranial modifications caused by gene expression as opposed to genetic code alteration) and Pneumopedics® (the practical application of oral appliance therapy and non-surgical airway remodeling) in the management of sleep apnea. Together, the application of these sciences allows for underlying causes of airway obstruction to be treated in 98% of cases, resulting in a high success rate among sleep apnea patients.
“I have been helping people suffering from Sleep Apnea with a non-invasive, clinically approved treatment method. This method has allowed my patients to sleep with far fewer events per hour, allowing them to get rid of their CPAP and BiPAP machines. Imagine not having to use one of those machines, getting back a much greater quality of life along with the benefits of being able to breathe better.” – Dr. Gorman.
For more information on Dr. Gorman and improving your sleep apnea, contact us today.