CPAP ALTERNATIVE

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects thousands of people and can cause serious health concerns if left untreated due to the fact that sleep apnea is caused by your airways literally collapsing. The standard treatment for the condition is to use a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine.

This is essentially a machine connected to your nose through a hose which constantly forces air through the nose and down the airway. It’s an effective machine and for many it means the difference between sleeping soundly through the night or having to go throughout each day with only a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately, as many things do, it has several downsides that make it unacceptable for certain people.

The downsides to CPAP

First of all, there’s the machine itself. A CPAP has a small rubber piece that fits over your nose, which is then held in place by straps that wrap around your head. This is fine for most people, but there are plenty who find it nearly impossible to sleep with the feeling of two straps wrapped tightly around their head. The nose cover is usually padded, but the plastic and rubber are also often a large comfortability issue.

Secondly, the machine runs all night long, making sleep difficult simply due to the machine’s noise. There are several other reasons, such as how difficult the machine can be to bring on trips, the monthly upkeep costs, etc., that make CPAP more of a burden than a solution.

Luckily, there is a CPAP alternative

One of the most effective CPAP alternatives and recommended as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea by the American Sleep Association and the American Association of Dental Sleep Medicine is Oral Appliance Therapy. This involves a dental sleep doctor making a custom fabricated oral appliance that is custom fit to your particular bite, and is designed to open the airway making it an effective solution both for breathing and snoring.

If this option sounds like they might be something you’d be interested in, don’t wait another minute, contact an experienced dental sleep doctor such as Dr. Benjamin Polan in Beverly, MA to get more information and finally start getting a good night’s sleep again. There’s nothing more important for your health than making sure you get a full, restful night of sleep every night.