Obstructive sleep apnoea is a special form of sleep apnoea where your windpipe gets blocked, and air cannot pass through it. As a result, you are unable to breathe, and oxygen does not flow to your brain. This can lead to shortness of breath, fogginess when you wake up, and other symptoms related to not having enough oxygen.
Over time, obstructive sleep apnoea can be very serious and cause mental and cognitive decline. It also increases your risk of developing diabetes, obesity, heart problems, and other serious health conditions. Therefore, it is important to find out if you have obstructive sleep apnoea so that you can receive treatment to keep your windpipe open while you sleep.
Currently, the most popular treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea is with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. As its name indicates, a CPAP machine fills your airways with constant positive pressure. This does not allow your windpipe to collapse and keeps it open so that you can breathe throughout the night.
There are many different types of CPAP machines to choose from, as they come in many different styles, including an over-the-head mask. While this is the most common and affordable type of machine, it can also be uncomfortable and cumbersome. As such, you can also choose smaller CPAP machines that are more comfortable but more expensive.
One of the reasons that obstructive sleep apnoea occurs is because the tongue gets too relaxed and puts pressure on the windpipe as you sleep, which collapses it. To keep this from happening, you can undergo treatment using nerve stimulators.
Nerve stimulators are permanent devices that you can turn on and off when you go to sleep and wake up. Nerve stimulation keeps your tongue taut and from relaxing, which prevents it from collapsing your windpipe. However, the only way this treatment will work is if your obstructive sleep disorder happens because of your tongue collapsing your windpipe. Otherwise, it is pointless.
If a CPAP machine or nerve stimulators do not work, you also have the option of having surgery performed to treat your obstructive sleep apnoea.
One of the most common surgical options is to have your uvular tissue removed. This tissue is at the back of the neck and can lead to sleep apnoea. In addition to your uvula, you can also have tissue around the phalanx removed to make additional space.
If removing tissue from the uvula and phalanx is not an option, you can opt to have your tonsils and adenoids removed. This will allow for more room to pass through your throat, making it easier to breathe at night.
Another possible cause of obstructive sleep apnoea is that soft tissue around your jaw blocks airflow and causes your windpipe to collapse. Shifting the jaw forward opens up your airway and helps keep your tongue firm and strong, which can keep it from collapsing your windpipe.
Although nasal surgery will not keep your windpipe from collapsing, it can correct nose defects that make it harder to breathe at night. This can help with complications of obstructive sleep apnoea.
As you can see, there are several treatments available for obstructive sleep apnoea. The right treatment for you will depend on what is causing your sleep apnoea and how severe it is. In general, it is best to start with a CPAP machine, oral devices, and nerve stimulators and proceed to surgery if necessary.