Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea
Alexandria, Tysons Corner and communities near Northern Virginia
Hypertension has a reputation for being "the" silent killer. But Dr. Lee, Dr. Oh and Dr. Mortazie warn that there is another disorder that should share that moniker. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a life threatening disorder that affects more than 12 million Americans. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, most cases are undiagnosed. No wonder most victims of this disorder have no idea that there are treatment options for sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
Treatments for sleep apnea have the common goal of opening the airway. They range from simple adjustments in your sleeping habits to surgery. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is one of the more common treatments, it isn't always the most successful. Other treatments include:
- Sleeping on your side–methods to prevent sleeping on your back
- Avoiding alcohol or sedatives that relax muscles
- Weight loss
- CPAP
- Radio frequency waves to shrink throat or tongue tissue
- Laser-Assisted Uvuloplasty (LAUP), surgery to remove the uvula and surrounding tissue
- Tonsillectomy
- Surgery to advance the mandible forward to open the airway
- Mandibular advancement devices (MAD) or mandibular repositioning appliances (MRA)
Given a choice, most patients would choose the least invasive, non-surgical, and most tolerable treatments. Of those that require medical intervention, the MADs fit that description best. While there are many designs, the basic idea involves anchoring the device to your upper and lower teeth to hold the lower jaw forward during sleep.
Effectiveness of MRAs in Treating Sleep Apnea
MRAs have consistently shown a significant improvement of about 50% reduction in respiratory disturbance index (RDI), a clinical measurement of the severity of sleep apnea. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has shown a 78% reduction in RDI, it may appear to be the most effective treatment for OSA. But there is more to consider.
Patients using CPAP have only a 60-70% compliance rate, meaning that 30-40% of OSA patients depending on CPAP for treatment either are not using their devices properly, or at all. CPAP provides 0% improvement for these patients.
Patients who cannot comply with the inconvenience or discomforts of CPAP may benefit most from an MRA, as its inconvenience and adjustment curve are significantly more tolerable than those of CPAP. MRAs require no permanent change, unlike surgery. For people who must take sedative medications at night, MRAs may overcome the degree of muscle relaxation they cause and prevent the obstruction.
The simple fact that more people accept and use MRAs as they should means that, to the degree that this is an effective treatment, it works because it is used properly.
If you have symptoms or a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in Tysons Corner or Alexandria, please contact the neuromuscular dentists at Galleria Dental Aesthetics providing patients with sleep apnea treatment throughout Northern Virginia.
