Lifestyle Choices May Help Treat Mild Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea can affect quality of life. Some people affected by this disorder are wondering whether there are treatments they can try aside from a CPAP machine. Now, a new article from http://www.chicagotribune.com has tried to answer these questions.
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There are two main types of sleep apnoea. The more common form is obstructive sleep apnoea, or OSA. It happens when muscles in the back of the throat relax, narrowing the airway and making it hard to take in enough air.
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Central sleep apnoea is less common. It happens when the brain doesn't send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
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OSA can make it difficult to get a good night's sleep. People with this sleep disorder often do not feel refreshed in the morning. They may wake up with a headache and suffer from fatigue and sleepiness throughout the day. Lack of sleep can affect a person's mood and the ability to think clearly and concentrate.
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Other problems can arise as a result of OSA, too. It may lead to an increase in blood pressure. It can raise your risk for stroke and many types of heart disease. Untreated OSA makes recovery from surgery more difficult. If you have OSA, your risk of being in a motor vehicle accident is higher. Severe cases of OSA may lead to premature death.
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Using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is the most effective treatment. It works by using air pressure to hold the throat open. To use it, you need to wear a mask over your nose while you sleep.
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While CPAP is a reliable way to prevent OSA, some people find it uncomfortable at first. Making adjustments to the fit of the mask and giving yourself time to get used to it usually are all that's needed to successfully use a CPAP machine.
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While there are no medications available to treat this sleep disorder, there are lifestyle choices you can make that may help decrease OSA. First, it's important to get to and stay at a healthy weight. Second, if you smoke, stop. Third, keep the amount of alcohol you drink to a minimum, if at all. Fourth, if you have persistent nasal congestion, treatment for that condition may help improve OSA. Finally, if you sleep on your back, try sleeping on your side or abdomen instead.
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For more advanced cases, there are interventions other than CPAP that can be explored, including custom-designed mouthpieces worn at night that hold the lower jaw forward during sleep, as well as a variety of surgical procedures.
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A number of newer non-CPAP options seeking to open the airway during sleep are in various stages of development, such as specialised nasal valves, oral suction devices, and implanted tongue nerve stimulators.
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Somnowell Inventor - Visiting Professor Simon Ash FDS MSc MOrth BDS

Prof. Ash is the inventor of the highly successful SOMNOWELL Chrome device for snoring and sleep apnoea.
The Somnowell Chrome is made to exacting standards in the Somnowell laboratory under the supervision of Visiting Professor Simon Ash. Prof. Ash and his master technicians create each Somnowell Chrome device using their wealth of experience and expertise.
Prof. Ash works at the forefront of his profession. He is a Consultant and Specialist Orthodontist with over 30 years clinical experience, with a special interest in sleep related breathing disorders, TMJD, and bruxism. He currently works in Harley Street London and two private hospitals in London as part of a multi-disciplinary team managing snoring and sleep apnoea, and is Visiting Professor of Orthodontics at the BPP University.
The Somnowell mandibular advancement appliance is also recommended by:
- Sleep Centres
- ENT Surgeons, Sleep Physicians, Respiratory, Physicians
- Orthodontists, Dentists
- General Medical Practitioners
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