Sleep Apnea Devices/CPAP Alternatives 

A diagnosis of sleep apnea can be distressing. Sleep apnea is when a person has breathing interruptionscall apneic events during sleep. Not only does this result in daytime drowsiness, it also puts you at riskfor heart attack, stroke, or other serious medical conditions.

Many people think that the CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure) is the only treatmentavailable for sleep apnea. This consists of a mask worn over the mouth and/or nose which blows air intothe airway during sleep. Although the CPAP is a life saving device, it isn’t the only treatment for sleepapnea.

Another possible treatment for sleep apnea is a device worn at night to help keep the airway open. Thiscustom made appliance fits over your top and bottom teeth allowing the jaw to slide forward therebyopening the airway. Dr. Sheahan can evaluate you to see if you’re a candidate for this type of device.In order to determine if you have sleep apnea, a sleep test can be done either in a sleep laboratoryunder the care of a sleep physician or in the comfort of your own home. Dr. Sheahan can administer ahome sleep device that you wear several nights and the results are digitally sent to a sleep physician.This is how we determine if you have sleep apnea and how severe you may have it.

Other modalities to treat sleep apnea from simple to complex:- Weight loss- Changing sleep position- Avoiding alcohol- Practicing good sleep hygiene and respecting circadian rhythms- Myofunctional therapy to tighten orofacial structures- Sleep tape, nasal breathing, and controlling allergies- Minimal laser surgery to tighten the soft tissue of the throat- Expansion device worn for 12-24 months 14 hours a day/night to expand mouth and airway- Medications to induce sleep- Surgically implanting an airway stimulation device- Surgically expanding orofacial structures to enhance airway- Surgically removing the uvula or advancing the mandible forward

CPAP

Normal sleep device