If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea , do not rush to look for a universal prescription that will help you in absentia. The treatment of this dangerous disease depends on a combination of causes and the severity of the disease.
Among the general activities effective and mandatory:
- weight loss (with its excess),
- reducing the number of cigarettes smoked or quitting smoking,
- refusal to drink alcohol before bedtime, as well as the exclusion of tranquilizers and certain sleeping pills,
- positional treatment (sleeping on the side),
- exercises for training the muscles of the tongue, lower jaw and pharynx.
With uncomplicated snoring and mild forms, apnea treatment can be surgical , laser or radiofrequency interventions are used on the soft palate and palatine uvula. An important aspect is the prompt elimination of chronic obstruction of nasal breathing. With a sharp hypertrophy of the tonsils, tonsillectomy is indicated.
In moderate and severe forms of apnea syndrome , treatment is longer, CPAP therapy is used, a method of non-invasive assisted ventilation of the lungs with constant positive pressure during a night’s sleep . A special apparatus inflates the airways and prevents them from collapsing. On the very first night, snoring and respiratory arrest are eliminated in the patient, blood oxygen saturation is normalized, and the quality of sleep improves . For maximum effect, treatment should be carried out regularly at home. With a milder course , apnea treatment with such devices is periodic (4-5 times a week). CPAP therapy has virtually no side effects . Cancellation of hardware treatment (even if it was carried out for several years) does not entail any complications, with the exception of the gradual return of the original symptoms. The use of the device does not cure a person, but provides him with a normal sleep, improved quality of life and prevention of serious complications. This treatment is somewhat comparable to the appointment of insulin to patients with diabetes mellitus.
At present, improved Prisma Line CPAP devices from the new line of Weinmann , Germany have been developed. Their use allows the most effective and comfortable treatment of the entire spectrum of respiratory disorders in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
Attending physicians of any level (district, family) should also have an idea about the features of managing patients with an established diagnosis of apnea . It should be considered a gross medical error to prescribe tranquilizers to patients with severe forms of apnea . Most often this occurs in cases where the patient complains of superficial and restless sleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, irritability and drowsiness during the day. The doctor, not understanding the situation, regards this as insomnia on the background of anxiety or depression and prescribes tranquilizers. If, nevertheless, the use of sleeping pills is required for non-severe forms of apnea , it is advisable to treat with drugs with the least negative effect on the tone of the muscles of the pharynx, for example, imovan , andante, sanval .
When referring patients with apnea for surgical intervention, surgeons should always be informed about the presence of this disease. This is due to the peculiarities of the management of patients in the postoperative period.