CPAP: A Tarnished Gold Standard
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has long been considered the gold standard in sleep apnea treatment. When used according to guidelines, CPAP is nearly 100% effective. Plus, it can treat both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
Unfortunately, the real-world performance of CPAP has been lackluster. The main reason is reduced compliance. More than half of all people prescribed CPAP stop using it regularly within a few months. CPAP is too cumbersome to use and too uncomfortable to wear for many people. Even those who put CPAP on diligently may remove it while they sleep, preventing them from getting the full benefit of the treatment.
The reality is that most people prescribed CPAP need an alternative to successfully treat their sleep apnea.
Oral Appliance Therapy: Proven Effective
Dentists have long provided oral appliance therapy as an alternative to CPAP. However, for years, doctors didn’t understand the viability and value of this treatment option. Now science shows clearly that oral appliances are at least as effective as CPAP in treating sleep apnea.
Because oral appliances are easier and more comfortable to use, people are more likely to actually use them. Studies show that nearly everyone uses oral appliances according to the standard for CPAP, and 85% of people use their oral appliances all night every night.
Because of this proven effectiveness, insurance companies now cover oral appliance therapy as a frontline sleep apnea treatment for most people.
A special variation on oral appliance therapy, the DNA appliance, can even cure sleep apnea in some cases. This means that a person DNA Appliance Columbus, Ohio.
Myofunctional Therapy Treatment
Not all sleep apnea and snoring treatments are machines or devices. The very successful myofunctional therapy uses the power of your own body to treat your sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs because the shape of your airway, your jaw position, and the tone of your airway muscles all facilitate the collapse of your airway. This cuts off your air supply. All of these causes can be due in part to bad habits and routines in the techniques you use when you are resting, chewing, and swallowing. By forming better habits and techniques, you can reshape your airway, reposition your jaw, and tone your airway muscles. This can reduce the severity of your sleep apnea.
The benefits aren’t just when you sleep. With myofunctional therapy, you’ll enjoy better breathing all day long, which can give you more energy and a higher quality of life.
Find the Right Sleep Apnea Treatment in Columbus, OH
You don’t have to live with snoring or sleep apnea. Instead, Dr. Mike can help you find an effective sleep apnea treatment that fits your lifestyle. Please call (614) 683-4640 today for a free consultation at Firouzian Sleep Wellness in Columbus, OH.
