03/15/2016 15:05
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Sleep apnea is, by definition, the cessation of breathing during sleep. This is caused primarily and most commonly by the partial or full blockage of the airway at the back of the throat.
Treatment options for sleep apnea will usually begin with the least aggressive choice first. Put another way, our Thousands Oaks sleep expert will start with conservative solutions before moving to more drastic ones. The options chosen will also be heavily dependent on the severity of the case.
The first solution pertains to lifestyle. The patient would need to give up smoking, or drinking near bedtime, and lose weight, among other things. However, barring that or until that is done successfully, the first treatment option available is an oral appliance. These are custom-fitted devices not dissimilar from mouth guards, which is to be worn during sleep. These help keep the airways open by properly position the jaw and tongue to promote effective breathing. For many patients, an oral appliance is all that is needed.
The next option is the use of a forced-air machine, the most common of which is called a CPAP. Our expert in sleep apnea treatment in Thousand Oaks will try to find a solution along these lines before ultimately considering something like surgery.