Difficulty sleeping is often caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition in which the throat tissue is lax or narrow, resulting in the muscles intermittently relaxing enough to block the airway during sleep. Snoring is one of the more common signs of sleep apnea. When the airway is blocked, breathing becomes difficult enough to wake the sleeping person up completely, usually briefly and without fully realizing it. This repeatedly happens, over and over, throughout the night, badly disrupting sleep.
Can sleep apnea be cured? Technically, there is no “cure” for sleep apnea. However, it can be successfully treated and, in some cases, nearly eliminated.
Lifestyle changes that can help reduce sleep apnea
Lifestyle changes can help resolve sleep apnea. These changes include losing weight, changing your sleep position so that you are better elevated and the airflow is more open, using a humidifier to improve breathing and the health of your nasal and throat tissues, and not drinking alcohol or smoking.
While lifestyle changes can help to reduce sleep apnea, it is generally a chronic condition that requires significant interventions to truly resolve the problem. Treatment options for sleep apnea include surgery, medication, and CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure).
A highly effective treatment for sleep apnea–jaw advancement surgery
This surgery is the most effective procedure to resolve sleep apnea. Jaw advancement surgery, also called maxillo-mandibular advancement, can resolve sleep apnea for more than 80% of people. This surgery restructures the jawbones and fixes them in place with titanium screws and plates, changing the facial profile to improve the airway. Surgery generally results in no more need for other treatments such as medication, CPAP, or other changes.
Other surgical procedures that can help resolve sleep apnea
Addition procedures can help resolve sleep apnea by stiffening the soft palate, opening the nasal airways to repair a deviated septum, and ablating the nasal pathways with radiofrequency to reduce nasal congestion and obstruction.
Nasal steroids that help resolve sleep apnea
Nasal steroids are effective in keeping the nasal passages open. These include the following:
- Flonase (fluticasone)
- Rhinocort (budesonide)
- Nasonex (mometasone)
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) can resolve sleep apnea
A CPAP machine is one of the most common and effective sleep apnea treatments. The CPAP machine opens your airways and keeps them open as you sleep to allow needed airflow. The CPAP device uses continuous pressurized air that is delivered through tubing into a mask that the sleeper wears over the nose or over the nose and the mouth. This machine ensures you receive the oxygen you need, greatly improving sleep quality.
Why choose South Florida ENT Associates to treat sleep apnea?
South Florida ENT Associates is a highly trained, trusted physician network with ENT specialists who are experienced and skilled across every ENT specialty. At South Florida ENT Associates, patients with sleep apnea are understood and treated with careful, individual attention to get to the root of the sleeping disorder and provide truly effective solutions to resolve obstructed breathing at night and help you live and sleep without sleep apnea in your life anymore. Please call today to schedule a consultation to learn more about how sleep apnea is successfully treated at South Florida ENT Associates.
