what treatment other than the cpap for sleep apnea

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, here are 6 CPAP alternatives that will actually make your life better.

1. Oral Appliances. Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is one, non-invasive option. ...
2. Balloon Sinuplasty. This minimally invasive procedure opens blocked sinus cavities and relieves the pain and pressure of chronic sinusitis.
3. Palate Coblation®. ...
4. Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty. ...
5. Laser-Assisted Tonsil Ablation. ...
6. Radiofrequency Ablation of the Tongue. ...

Full Answer

How to cure sleep apnea naturally at home without CPAP?

Aug 21, 2020 · Beyond CPAP: Other options for sleep apnea Sleep apnea symptoms and causes. Sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in breathing throughout the night. In the most... CPAP treatment. Short for continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP is a common treatment for moderate-to-severe sleep... 7 Non-CPAP ...

Are there alternatives to a CPAP machine for sleep apnea?

Mar 04, 2022 · Because sleep apnea is so common, and the CPAP treatment is so established, many patients are left to their own research for alternatives. An expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) device is connected to the nose. It creates the pressure needed to hold the airway open during exhaling, which is the opposite of a traditional CPAP device.

What are the different alternative treatments for sleep apnea?

Feb 01, 2022 · Another option for treating sleep apnea is hypoglossal nerve stimulation. This involves surgically inserting an implant that stimulates the hypoglossal (tongue) nerve.

How does CPAP help treat sleep apnea?

Aug 22, 2017 · CPAP alternatives for sleep apnea 1. Some patients experience less airway obstruction when sleeping on their sides, making positional therapy an option for them. 2.

What helps sleep apnea without a CPAP machine?

Sleep apnea lifestyle remediesMaintain a healthy weight. Doctors commonly recommend people with sleep apnea to lose weight. ... Try yoga. Regular exercise can increase your energy level, strengthen your heart, and improve sleep apnea. ... Alter your sleep position. ... Use a humidifier. ... Avoid alcohol and smoking. ... Use oral appliances.

What is the latest treatment for sleep apnea?

Inspire is the only FDA approved obstructive sleep apnea treatment that works inside your body to treat the root cause of sleep apnea with just the click of a button.

What is the best medicine for sleep apnea?

Modafinil is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patients who have residual daytime sleepiness despite optimal use of CPAP. The most improvement has been seen in patients who have taken modafinil at doses of 200-400 mg/d.Sep 15, 2020

What is the best alternative to a CPAP machine?

Inspire. Inspire (also knowns as hypoglossal nerve stimulation) is one of the apnea CPAP alternatives that works without any external contraption. A small implanted pacemaker opens the airway by moving the tongue forward while you're sleeping at night.

What is the best treatment for sleep apnea?

Sleep Apnea Treatment: CPAP Alternatives. If you are having difficulty adjusting to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) treatment, there are several other alternatives to CPAP for sleep apnea. Although CPAP is the most popular treatment for this sleep disorder, there are other therapies available that may be more effective or comfortable ...

What is the procedure to treat sleep apnea?

Procedures can be grouped into those directed at the soft palate or other parts of the breathing passages, such as the tongue.

What is adaptive servo ventilation?

Adaptive servo ventilation is a relatively new alternative to CPAP for sleep apnea. It continuously monitors the breathing status of patients with central sleep apnea (CSA). Considered to be a form of positive airway pressure therapy (PAP), adaptive servo ventilation adjusts pressure delivery based on the detection of pauses, or apneas, in breathing during sleep.

What is the name of the surgery that moves the jaw forward to facilitate breathing?

Also known as maxillomandibular advancement or bimaxillary advancement, this sleep apnea surgery is another CPAP alternative which moves the jaw forward to facilitate breathing.

What is the most common sleep apnea surgery?

Soft palate procedures are the most common sleep apnea surgeries. They include uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and newer procedures such as expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty or lateral pharyngoplasty, which some studies have shown to be better than traditional UPPP in some studies.

How does a bilevel PAP work?

Instead of one single pressure, BiPAP uses two pressures – an inhale pressure and a lower exhale pressure. BiPAP is often used as an alternative to CPAP for sleep apnea when patients also present with lung issues, like COPD. Historically, it was also used for sleep apnea patients that had difficulty tolerating CPAP. Your sleep specialist will be able to help you decide if BiPAP would be suitable for you.

What type of surgery is best for sleep apnea?

The type of sleep apnea surgery that will be most effective for you depends on the structures that are causing your sleep apnea and blocking your breathing during sleep. In children, surgery (usually tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy) is a first-line option for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), whereas sleep apnea surgery is typically ...

How to treat apnea in the mouth?

Orofacial Therapy . Orofacial therapy, or therapy for facial and mouth muscles, may help reduce apnea events. In this therapy, you learn how to correct the position of your tongue so that it does not block your airway. You also learn how to control and strengthen muscles in your tongue, soft palate, lips, and face.

What is mixed sleep apnea?

Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of OSA and CSA symptoms, though it typically presents as OSA first. If you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, your healthcare provider may recommend a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for treatment. A CPAP machine gives you pressurized air as you sleep to ensure your airway stays open.

How does sleep affect apnea?

Sleep Position. Sleeping in a supine position, on your back with your face up toward the ceiling, increases the number of apnea episodes you have in a night. When you have OSA and sleep on your back, your tongue and larynx can obstruct your breathing 9.

What does it mean when you wake up gasping for breath?

If you breathe irregularly as you sleep, wake up gasping for breath, or feel excessively sleepy during the day, you may be experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea. There are three types of sleep apnea. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA affects between 2% and 9% of adults 1 in the United States and about 2% ...

What is the purpose of mandibular advancement?

Mandibular advancement devices cover your upper and lower teeth 14 and keep your jaw in a position that prevents it from blocking your upper airway. These devices are silent, easy to use, and less expensive than CPAP machines. However, mandibular advancement devices work best if you have mild OSA or if you experience OSA only when you sleep on your ...

How many people have OSA?

OSA affects between 2% and 9% of adults 1 in the United States and about 2% of children. If you have this respiratory disorder, your breathing is interrupted 2 as you sleep. You might snore, gasp, choke, or snort during your sleep. These body responses may wake you from sleep. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a much rarer type of sleep apnea.

What is a nasal expiratory positive airway pressure device?

A nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (nEPAP) device is a one-time use product that is inserted into your nostrils before you go to sleep. These nEPAP devices, sold under the commercial name Provent, provide positive pressure when you exhale and prevent the collapse of your upper airway.

How does CPAP help with OSA?

The standard treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, which involves wearing a mask during sleep. The device conducts pressurized air through the nose, or through the nose and mouth, to the throat. That pressure keeps the throat from collapsing during sleep to enable normal breathing.

What is a CPAP mask?

A mask that delivers pressurized air during sleep, CPAP is a standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. But other options, when necessary, are available. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience obstructed or restricted breathing for periods of 10 seconds or longer during sleep.

How does a mouth device work?

A mouth device known as a mandibular advancement appliance works by moving the jaw forward, which increases the size of the upper airway and reduces air resistance that leads to sleep apnea and snoring . It may be effective for some patients, especially those with mild or moderate OSA. 3.

What is the best treatment for a enlarged tongue?

10. Tongue reduction surgery may be helpful when the tongue is abnormally enlarged. Reducing the size of a person’s tongue may cause the airway to collapse less, thus improving airflow and breathing. For more information or to make an evaluation appointment, contact the Michigan Medicine Alternatives to CPAP Clinic.

What causes OSA in the throat?

Excessive weight or obesity may be a major contributor to a person’s OSA. Weight gain can cause fat tissue to build up around the throat and at the base of the tongue. Medical weight loss or bariatric surgery may be indicated in certain cases. 10.

Do you need beauty sleep?

SEE ALSO: Yes, You Really Do Need ‘Beauty Sleep’. 4. Some patients can have a long palate shortened with a procedure known as a UP3 (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) or uvulectomy — a procedure used to remove excess tissue in the soft palate to widen the airway and allow air to move through the throat more easily.

Is CPAP therapy effective?

That pressure keeps the throat from collapsing during sleep to enable normal breathing. But the regimen isn’t effective — or appropriate — for everyone. “CPAP therapy is not well tolerated by some,” says Ron Aronovich, D.M.D., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with the Michigan Medicine Alternatives to CPAP Clinic.

How to treat sleep apnea?

Your OSA could be treated by repositioning your jaw. There are different types of surgery for sleep apnea depending on the cause of the obstruction in your airway. You may have tissue removed from the back of your mouth or the upper and lower parts of your jaw brought forward.

How to get rid of osa without CPAP?

Lifestyle changes can improve OSA and help you sleep better at night without the need for CPAP. By getting more exercise and losing weight, you can reduce the buildup of fat tissue around the throat and base of the tongue, which can cause obstruction.

Why is snoring worse on my back?

Your snoring and sleep apnea are often worse when you’re on your back. That’s because gravity causes your lower jaw, tongue, and uvula to fall into your airway.

Is there a new way to deliver PAP?

There is a new and innovative way to deliver PAP, or positive airway pressure. This new CPAP alternative eliminates some of the features that make CPAP intolerable, while providing effective therapy for patients who suffer from mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea.

Is surgery a good option for sleep apnea?

This may not be the best sleep apnea option for you if: You want to avoid an invasive procedure. You haven’t tried any other alternative treatments for sleep apnea. Surgery is the most invasive alternative to CPAP machines for sleep apnea and carries the most risk.

Does CPAP work for everyone?

While this treatment option can work well, it doesn’t work for everyone. In fact, around 50% of CPAP users abandon their machines and leave their sleep apnea untreated, which is a dangerous decision. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with OSA and don’t want to use CPAP or you’re already struggling with therapy, ...

Do you need a long term sleep apnea therapy?

You need a long-term sleep apnea therapy. You don’t like wearing devices while sleeping. You travel frequently and need a portable treatment. Positional therapy has a low long-term adherence rate. The devices can be bulky, which makes them annoying to wear while you sleep and difficult to take with you on trips.

What is the name of the condition where the back of the throat blocks the airway?

This is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

How does a pacemaker work?

The pacemaker-like device works by stimulating the hypoglossal nerve, which keeps the airways open and allows people with sleep apnea to get a good night’s sleep. Its effectiveness has been proven in clinical trials, which show it significantly improves sleep apnea and relieves symptoms such as snoring and daytime sleepiness.

What is the BMI for hypoglossal nerve stimulation?

Have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 32 (although Medicare sets the threshold at 35) Have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. There are some exceptions to these general criteria, and hypoglossal nerve stimulation is not for everyone.

Can sleep apnea cause a heart attack?

Moderate to severe sleep apnea can increase one's risk of stroke, heart attack, and hardening of the arteries, called atherosclerosis. Daytime sleepiness from sleep apnea can interfere with concentration and increase one’s risk of causing traffic accidents.

Can a pacemaker help with sleep apnea?

People with obstructive sleep apnea who haven’t found relief may benefit from a new pacemaker-like device that keeps the airway open during sleep. When other options have failed, “this treatment has allowed us to achieve a whole new level of success,” said Matthew Ellison, MD, an otolaryngologist at Duke, the first center in North Carolina ...

Where is the pacemaker placed?

A small pacemaker-like device placed just below your collar bone coordinates the stimulation with your breathing, turning on when you inhale, and off in between to return your tongue to its relaxed position. There's also a small remote control that turns on the stimulator before you go to sleep.

Can a non-CPAP be used for sleep apnea?

For mild sleep apnea, non-CPAP options include lifestyle changes (weight loss and exercise) and fitted mouthpieces that adjust the lower jaw and keep the tongue from blocking the airway. For moderate to severe sleep apnea, these alternatives are rarely successful. Before the new Inspire hypoglossal nerve stimulator system ...