Alternatives for CPAP
Sleep apnea is a disorder that narrows your airway while you sleep, interrupting your breathing and causing you to wake up several times throughout the night. This process also results in heavy snoring and often happens without your knowledge.
In addition to impacting your rest, sleep apnea can lead to major health consequences without treatment. Explore our guide to learn more about sleep apnea and how we can relieve your symptoms.
Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea
We recommend undergoing a precautionary sleep test if any of the following risk factors apply to you:
- Male
- Over 40
- Overweight
- Large neck circumference
- Family history of sleep apnea
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can result in a variety of harmful symptoms, including:
- Loud, frequent snoring
- Gasping or choking sounds overnight
- Daytime fatigue/drowsiness
- Headaches
- Short-term memory issues
- Lack of attention span
- Decreased libido
Call Us immediately if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms.
Treating Sleep Apnea
To determine if you suffer from sleep apnea, you’ll need to take a sleep test and go over the results with a qualified sleep doctor. If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, the first treatment recommended is typically a CPAP machine.
This machine pumps pressurized air into your lungs through a mask that you wear over your face while you sleep. Though it’s effective when used properly, many patients find the mask too bulky and uncomfortable to wear overnight. The machine also makes a loud noise and forces you to sleep on your back, leading to low compliance rates over the long-term.
That’s why we recommend oral appliance therapy as a more comfortable and less invasive treatment solution.
Oral Appliance Therapy
If you’re struggling with your CPAP mask or want to avoid using one in the first place, we can customize an oral appliance just for you. Worn overnight, these devices are designed to gently shift your jaw forward and hold your tongue in place, keeping your airway open while you sleep.
Unlike CPAP, oral appliances are comfortable to wear, easily portable, and completely silent. They also allow you to sleep in any position you want for maximum comfort. Combined with moderate lifestyle changes such as losing weight, an oral appliance will eliminate your snoring and sleep apnea symptoms.
Visit High Point Smiles For an Oral Appliance
If you have sleep apnea, there are more options for treatment than a CPAP machine. An oral appliance can provide the same effective results without all the inconvenient drawbacks of CPAP.
Call our office in Schaumburg, IL at (847) 818-8266 and schedule a consultation today.
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
Sleep apnea can only be officially diagnosed with a sleep study. Sleep studies usually require the patient to sleep in a doctor’s office overnight while a doctor monitors their breathing and the number of sleep apnea episodes are recorded. Some doctors offer at-home sleep studies as well. We recommend checking with your primary care physician to see what options are available to you.
What happens if sleep apnea goes untreated?
Untreated sleep apnea can lead to chronic fatigue, brain fog, and frequent headaches, but in serious cases, sleep apnea can also result in memory loss, brain injuries, and even death. This is why sleep apnea treatment is so important not only for feeling better, but for a patient’s overall health and wellbeing.
