If you think you might suffer from sleep apnea, ask your doctor for a referral to a sleep clinic run by a hospital or medical school. Once there, you’ll be evaluated as you sleep.
Diagnosis of sleep apnea is confirmed if a person stops breathing for 10 seconds or more at least five times each hour while asleep. People with moderate to severe sleep apnea are usually given a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, a type of oxygen mask that delivers just enough air into the nose to keep the upper airway passages open. It must be used continually, or sleep apnea will return without it.
Unfortunately, about 50 percent of those who are prescribed find it uncomfortable and stop using it. But now there is an alternative for people who cannot tolerate the CPAP.
The Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) therapy system is a small generator surgically implanted in the upper chest, much like a pacemaker or defibrillator. The generator is connected to an electrical lead in the throat that senses breathing patterns and delivers a current to keep airways open during sleep. Patients activate the system using a small hand-held remote control before going to bed, and then turn the system off when they wake up.
Another option for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea is an oral appliance that fits like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. It keeps the jaw in a forward position to help maintain an open upper airway.
In addition, behavioral changes can play a great role. If you’re overweight, the best thing you can do is lose the excess pounds, which could result in sleep apnea disappearing altogether. Eliminating alcohol and/or sedative medications can also provide relief.