Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder that can lead to complications and health problems. Fortunately, there are several medications available that may be used to treat the condition and improve your quality of life.

One of these new smart pills called a Modafinil reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is shown to significantly reduce the number of airway blockages a person with sleep apnea endures during their sleep.

Oral Appliances

Oral Appliances are a safe, effective, and comfortable alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Using an oral appliance, your dentist can adjust the position of your lower jaw or tongue to make more room in your airway and help you breathe better during sleep. Otherwise, you can take Armodafinil Australia treatment for excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

According to studies, oral appliances improve symptoms in a majority of patients with OSA. These devices are also less expensive than CPAP.

In addition, many patients prefer to use oral appliances because they are easier to wear and less uncomfortable than CPAP machines. Plus, they have been found to be more effective than CPAP in controlling sleep apnea.

At Minnesota Head & Neck Pain Clinics, we offer a variety of different types of oral appliances to treat our sleep apnea patients. We also have a trained orofacial specialist on staff who can assist with the selection of a device that will best serve your needs.

Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Machines

A CPAP machine delivers pressurized air into the lungs to keep the airway open during sleep. This eliminates pauses in breathing that cause obstructive sleep apnea and improves sleeping patterns. And, the wake-promoting agent Waklert 150 Australia also helps with the treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

CPAP machines do often prescribe as an initial treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP also has been show to be effective in controlling infants born with respiratory distress syndrome or bronchopulmonary dysplasia who have not to develop their lungs fully.

PAP devices may be prescribe in conjunction with oxygen therapy or as a stand-alone treatment for sleep apnea. The most common type of PAP device is a CPAP machine, but BiPAP and APAP are also available.

Mouthpiece Devices

If you have mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend an oral appliance or mouthpiece. These devices are essentially mouthguard-like splint that pushes your lower jaw forward to keep your airway open.

Often used as an alternative to CPAP machines, mouthpieces are more comfortable and portable. They also don’t require you to wear a mask, which can make them a great backup if your CPAP needs repair or replacement.

The most popular type of mouthpiece for sleep apnea is the mandibular advancement device (MAD). These devices snap over the upper and lower dental arches, and they have custom springs and adjustments that push your lower jaw forward.

Another option is a tongue retaining mouthpiece, which works much like a pacifier by keeping your tongue in a prominent position away from the back of your throat. These mouthpieces can be less effective than MADs, but they are easier to use and less invasive than surgery.

Surgery

Surgical procedures do use to control obstructive sleep apnea by addressing. Certain areas of the airway may be blocking breathing. Depending on the type of surgery, this may involve nasal surgeries, jaw surgeries, or throat and tongue surgeries.

One new technique is hypoglossal nerve stimulation, or HGNS, which uses an FDA-approved device created by Inspire Medical Systems. During the procedure, a stimulation electrode does surgically place on branches of the hypoglossal nerve. And a sensing electrode does surgically place in the chest wall.

This does connect to a neurostimulator that is placed in a pocket under the clavicle. The neurostimulator activates the hypoglossal nerve and causes the tongue to move forward. Helping to prevent blockages in the airway and improving nighttime breathing.

ENT surgeons and oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform these sleep apnea surgeries. Surgery is an option for people who have severe obstructive sleep apnea that doesn’t respond well to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy or oral appliances.