Treatments
Sleep Apnea
Breathe right,
sleep better.
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder occurring during sleep. As the muscles relax, the airway may narrow, making breathing challenging or completely blocking the airflow to the lungs. This leads to partial or complete pauses in breathing dozens or even hundreds of times, causing frequent interruptions in sleep.
How it affects our life
Patients with sleep apnea often suffer from drowsiness, headaches, fatigue, muscle pain and irritation throughout the day. During the night they exhibit severe snoring with or without interruptions in breathing, feeling of choking or gasping. These patients may show – inter alia – cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, decreased libido, depression, behavioral disorders, memory loss and loss of concentration.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of sleep apnea is made by the Pulmonologist of our Team, by using a detailed questionnaire that explores both sleep and daytime behaviors. Furthermore, a specific portable device is utilized, placed on the patient during sleep, to collect essential data and ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Effective and painless treatment
For the treatment of mild sleep apnea the doctor recommends the changing of the patient’s habits. Among other, weight loss, changing dietary habits, such as small and light meals and exercise are recommended. Smoking and alcohol consumption before bedtime should be avoided.
Mandibular Advancement Device
The patient during sleep wears a special orthodontic mechanism, the Herbst appliance. It works by pushing gradually the mandible forward helping the opening of the airway and hence eases breathing.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device (CPAP)
A very effective way of treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea is to provide continuous airflow with the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device. The device is placed next to the bed and through a small mask, provides concatenated, gently and softly, pressurized air. Since the airway is kept open, breathing continues without problems and sleep is not interrupted.
In some cases, special surgical techniques are used. For example if the patient’s facial skeleton is the cause of the problem, then a cranio maxillofacial surgery is required. If the problem lies in hypoplasia of upper and lower jaw, the movement to the correct position and in a normal relation, creates enough airway space, resolving to normal breathing.
