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When you have sleep apnea, it means that you frequently stop breathing normally during the night. It's most often caused by your airway becoming closed during the night, preventing oxygen from reaching your lungs. This results in poor sleep that causes you to feel fatigued throughout the entire day. In can result in more serious health problems as well — your heart needs to beat faster as a way to compensate for low oxygen levels in your blood at night, which causes stress to it and can lead to you developing heart failure.
Treating your sleep apnea will help you feel more energetic during the day and help prevent health complications in the future. The two most common ways to treat obstructive sleep apnea are a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and a sleep apnea oral appliance. A CPAP machine continually forces air through your airway at night, helping to keep it open. An oral appliance moves your lower jaw forwards, helping to create more space in your airway and prevent it from becoming closed during the night.
A CPAP machine is typically the first option for treating obstructive sleep apnea, but some people find that it doesn't work for them. If you're not having success with your CPAP machine and are wondering if an oral appliance would be a good alternative, read on to find out if you may be a good candidate for one.
You Have Mild or Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is classified as either mild, moderate, or severe, and this classification is based on how many times you stop breathing normally while sleeping at night. You can find out how severe your sleep apnea is by undergoing a sleep study. Sleep apnea oral appliances work best for mild or moderate sleep apnea, so you're a good candidate for one if your sleep apnea is not severe. Oral appliances can help improve severe sleep apnea, but they're not as effective at treating it as CPAP machines are — you may still suffer from sleep apnea symptoms like fatigue during the day while using an oral appliance.
In addition, oral appliances are only effective for obstructive sleep apnea, since they work by helping to keep your airway open. Central sleep apnea is another form of sleep apnea where your brain stops signaling your body to breathe. If you have this form of sleep apnea, then oral appliances won't be effective because your airway is not involved.
You're Unable to Tolerate Using Your CPAP Machine
One of the biggest challenges doctors face in treating sleep apnea is that patients often can't tolerate using a CPAP machine at night. While CPAP machines are very effective at treating obstructive sleep apnea, many people find them constricting, and the loud noises that they make can interfere with sleep. Even if you can tolerate wearing a CPAP mask, you may find yourself unconsciously removing it during the night while you're sleeping.
If you're in this situation, then using a sleep apnea oral appliance is a good alternative. They're more comfortable than wearing a CPAP mask, and there aren't any loud noises emitted by a machine that can keep you awake at night. If you find that using a CPAP machine feels too restrictive and you frequently skip using it at night, you may want to consider switching to a sleep apnea oral appliance.
You Travel or Camp Often and Don't Want to Bring Your CPAP Machine With You
Finally, traveling with a CPAP machine can be quite a hassle. It takes up a significant amount of space in your luggage, and you have to remember to pack all of the CPAP supplies you'll need to use while you're staying in a hotel. If you travel frequently, then you may want to consider purchasing a sleep apnea oral appliance to use as an alternative to your CPAP machine while you're away from home.
Similarly, sleep apnea oral appliances are a good option for people who go camping often. If you don't have access to any electrical outlets, you won't be able to use your CPAP machine at all. Having a sleep apnea oral appliance as a backup helps you keep treating your sleep apnea while you're away from a source of electricity.
If you think that you'd be a good candidate for a sleep apnea oral appliance, schedule an appointment with your sleep doctor and ask about your options. You can have an oral appliance custom-made by a dentist or you can purchase an over-the-counter one. Over-the-counter sleep apnea oral appliances don't fit your mouth as well since they're not custom-designed, but they're less expensive and can be a good way to see if an oral appliance lets you sleep better at night. If you find that an oral appliance is preferable to using your CPAP machine, you can have one custom-made so that it will be more comfortable to wear during the night.
For more information about sleep apnea oral appliances, contact a professional.
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