Exploring treatments for sleep apnea

Even though medical science has been working very hard for more than two decades now to try and understand ways of treating diseases like sleep apnea, there is very little to be derived from their hard work. There are some oral treatments like methylxanthime which have proven to be very beneficial in reducing the apnea attacks; however this medication can have side effects like palpitations and insomnia as well. Theophylline is also being used to treat apnea; however, this does not seem to give any relief to adult patients. However, it has been effective in the treatment of children.

Amphetamines has been used regularly to help get rid of a patients sleeping problems during the day and it has worked efficiently in many cases. Weight loss has also been a very good treatment to help apnea sufferers although not all sufferers are obese.

Many scientists believe that sleep apnea is a neurological condition that functions by creating an imbalance in the nerves of the tongue and the soft palate which eventually leads to blockage of the passage. There are some research being conducted with sleep apnea patients to try and monitor the changes in their nervous system when the breathing changes. However, this is not considered to be a sleep apnea treatment and it is only a research.

Surgery has also been a very common way of treating sleep apnea in certain cases. Tracheotomy used to be a very common way of creating more space on the person’s airway. However, there are other methods and surgeries being studied now days and other drugs and treatments that are trying to avoid the need to have a surgery in the first place.

There are some other surgeries like the turbinectory which means the removal or reduction of the nasal turbinate in the effort to try and create space on the nasal tubes or trying to correct the nasal congestion to try and alleviate sleep apnea. However, all these methods do not seem to be very effective.

There are even cases of patients that have had uvulopalatoplasty which is basically the removal of some part of the base of the tongue with laser technology. Another technique includes the genioglossus which is the lower jaw is moved forward to give the tongue more space at the back.

Hyoid suspension is the procedure where the hyoid bone of the neck is pulled forward in front of the larynx to allow more space. There are also surgeries done to correct the structure of the face of the patient by changing the place of the jaws and connecting them again in the proper manner with pins. However, all these surgeries are not necessary for everyone suffering from sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea problems then the best recommendation will be to contact your doctor and get all the proper information on the different treatments available and to choose wisely. There is no need to go through unwanted surgeries if the disease can be controlled with medication.

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