Sleep Apnea Surgery May Be Last Resort
For people who have tried many different cures and treatments for obstructive sleep apnea surgery may be their last resort. Sleep apnea is a condition that affects millions of people, forcing them to wake up in the middle of night, sometimes hundreds of times, to take a breath. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition resulting in the soft tissue on the roof of the mouth and throat becoming relaxed as the person sleeps and blocking their airway. One of the primary indications of this problem is extremely loud snoring after undergoing sleep apnea surgery the snoring should subside.
When a person sleeps, their muscles and tissues are relaxed. When the airway becomes blocked they are unable to breath and despite waking up in order to inhale, many are not even aware they have been woke up. While sleep apnea surgery is a last-ditch effort by many doctors to restore a person's sleep habits, it is usually done so as a last resort.
There are different procedures and products claiming to eliminate the need for sleep apnea surgery, and some of the products are being sold as a way of reducing snoring to allow other household members to sleep in peace. Unfortunately, for the person suffering from obstructive sleep apnea these products may be masking a relatively dangerous health problem.
Proper Diagnosis Requires Sleep Test
While many people believe the passing a sleep test should be a breeze, those who believe they are suffering sleep apnea will need to spend the night in a sleep lab to monitor their sleeping pattern to properly diagnosis their condition. If diagnosed with sleep apnea and many other treatments fail to help them, sleep apnea surgery may be required to reduce the amount of tissue inside the mouth and throat.
Doctors, while generally limiting sleep apnea surgery to only the most severe cases, can remove some of the loose tissue in the back of the throat to prevent it from loudly rattling while sleeping. Some newer procedures involving creating scar tissue that will tighten the loose tissue in the throat are also being used in place of sleep apnea surgery.
Due to the dangers of any type of surgery, especially the discomfort associated with sleep apnea surgery, doctors will try a variety of methods to reduce snoring and to limit the loss of breathing during the night. Continuous air pressure masks are one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea, but when they fail to help sleep apnea surgery may be required.
