In summary, while significant weight loss can lead to improvements in OSA, the data demonstrate that the majority of patients do not achieve or maintain enough weight loss to resolve their sleep disordered breathing and thus will require ongoing treatment for the OSA. Given these data, weight loss should not be considered a primary therapy for moderate to severe OSA and should be recommended as a secondary therapy or intervention that supplements a primary treatment such as CPAP or oral appliances.
"Patients sometimes ask if they can die from not getting their sleep apnea treated. The short answer is ‘yes,’" Dasgupta says.
27. Atwood CW, Jr. Progress toward a clearer understanding of the role of bilevel positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea.
There are currently approximately 5.9 million OSA diagnoses among U.S. adults, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. In those with the disorder, neck and throat muscles relax during sleep, causing the soft tissue at the back of the throat to collapse and block air from reaching the airway.
Consider weight loss, either though diet or bariatric procedures for obese patients. Most patients will require other therapy in addition to weight loss, as most patients will have clinically significant residual OSA despite substantial weight loss.
These side effects can usually be prevented or controlled by simple measures like using a nasal spray or adjusting the size or fit of the mask.
Soothe the Affected Area: If you develop a CPAP nose sore, you may benefit from applying a soothing gel or cream to the affected area, such as aloe or Lansinoh, to prevent further irritation.
Surgery and medications: Various surgical approaches have been used to treat or improve OSA. In general, these approaches should be considered only after a trial of CPAP and or oral appliance therapy has been unsuccessful7.
Neither are people who are pregnant or plan to be. In addition, those who have pronounced or unusually large anatomy, such as large tonsils, that prevent upper-airway stimulation may not be eligible.
According to most health experts, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is considered the more info most effective way to minimize the effects and reduce health risks associated with sleep apnea.
While not exclusive to CPAP, another side effect that can occur with CPAP is gas and/or bloating. Sometimes referred to as aerophagia, this unpleasant CPAP side effect occurs when you swallow CPAP air at night, and it tends to be very uncomfortable.
Oral appliances: Oral appliances are dental devices that improve sleep disordered breathing by maintaining the patency of the posterior pharynx. These devices are typically fit by a dentist and maintain pharyngeal patency by advancing the mandible forward and or by maintaining the tongue in an anterior position.
CPAP is typically the first PAP therapy used to treat sleep disordered breathing. It's simple approach to supporting the airway is effective for many sleep apnea patients. However, it may not successfully treat everyone.
That causes a series of partial or complete pauses in breathing, sometimes hundreds of them each night.