ORAL APPLIANCE THERAPY FOR SNORING AND SLEEP APNEA

cpap (continuous positive air pressure)

CPAP

The "gold-standard" and most commonly prescribed method of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is continuous positive air pressure or CPAP. A CPAP machine delivers air pressure of adjustable intensity through a nasal mask worn during sleep.

Nasal CPAP is a well established treatment that many people adapt to quickly, however, some patients may have difficulty.

There are three types of CPAP devices:

  • Standard CPAP - Standard CPAP delivers a fixed pressure of room air. The air pressure forms a "splint" preventing the airway from collapsing during sleep. The pressure used is determined during a CPAP titration study.
  • Bi-level CPAP - Bilevel devices use two different pressures to support the airway - a stronger pressure is delivered during inhalation and a lower pressure is used during exhalation. The change in pressure is determined by the patient's breathing pattern.
  • Smart CPAP- SmartPAP machines automatically adjust the pressure in response to a patient's needs throughout the night.

Side effects of CPAP treatment include

  • Nasal Congestion
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Sinus Involvement
  • Skin Irritation
  • Gastric Distension

CPAP Compliance is difficult to determine but studies indicate that it is influenced by a variety of factors including:

  • severity of the sleep apnea
  • quality of patient training and education
  • initial success or problems
  • participation in a support group
  • claustrophobia
  • follow-up and monitoring by health care professionals
  • patient motivation
  • use of humidification
  • ramping feature of CPAP device (gradual increase in pressure as patient falls asleep)
  • treatment reactions
  • patient's age

sleep news



Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:56:15 -0500

Study Helps Explain Connection Between Sleep Apnea, Stroke and Death

Obstructive sleep apnea decreases blood flow to the brain, elevates blood pressure within the brain and eventually harms the brain’s ability to modulate these changes and prevent damage to itself, according to a new study published by The American Physiological Society. The findings may help explain why people with sleep apnea are more likely to suffer strokes and to die in their sleep...Continue


Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:53:14 -0500

Oral appliances are an important part of the armamentarium necessary for the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing.

They are gaining appeal among patients and health care providers because they are well tolerated by patients.

In February 2006, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine published a review of oral appliance therapy for sleep-disordered breathing.1 It was the result of an appointed task force who spent two years gathering and analyzing the latest medical evidence of the efficacy of oral appliance therapy. From this review, the AASM published a practice parameters update.2 ...Continue


Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:23:54 -0500

Wake-up call: Diabetics face sleep apnea risk

Here’s a wake-up call to the mil-lions of American men and women with type 2 diabetes: Snoring at night or nodding off during the day may be symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening problem affecting one out of three diabetics....Continue