San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, CA
A CPAP machine has been the gold standard treatment for patients suffering from sleep apnea. But, it’s not the only way to treat this sleep-breathing disorder. Did you know that, according to a recent study, as many as 83 percent of sleep apnea patients who use CPAP eventually become non-compliant? Your San Francisco sleep apnea dentists at Glen Park Dental what could be a better treatment option for your sleep-breathing disorder.
Learn about CPAP and how it works
CPAP, which is an abbreviation for continuous positive airway pressure, delivers a steady flow of air into your throat through a mask that is worn during sleep. This continuous flow of air helps maintain an open airway throughout the night, helping to prevent the blockages or collapses of soft tissue that cause sleep apnea attacks to happen.
Why do sleep apnea patients who use CPAP become non-compliant?
Reason 1) The mask can cause skin irritations
The mask can cause its own set of problems. You wear it each night, all night long. It also means your face stays in contact with the mask—along with all of the dust, debris, and oil that accumulates on your face each day. This can cause rashes and skin irritation, especially if you’re not cleaning your mask often enough.
Reason 2) Chronic illnesses or allergies
Are you using CPAP to treat your sleep apnea, but seem always to be sick or dealing with a runny nose? Your use of CPAP actually can cause more sickness or make allergies worse. This might develop as a nagging sinus infection that never seems to go away or a recurring case of strep throat. Bacteria can stay alive inside the equipment of your CPAP, especially with improper cleaning techniques.
Reason 3) Mold and/or mildew may develop in the machine
You probably know about the health risks of mold and mildew. These can form in the machine and its workings, especially if you’re not cleaning it often enough. Inhaling these particles of mold or mildew can have a major impact on your health.
Reason 4) The machine is loud, bulky, and has to be plugged in
Some CPAP users report that operating their machine actually interferes with their partner’s sleep. Plus, the machine is bulky, which makes bringing it along when you travel a bit of an inconvenience. What if where you are sleeping, there isn’t an outlet? Since the machine has to be plugged in, it may be difficult to find a plug nearby when sleeping away from home.
You have options to treat your sleep apnea
At Glen Park Dental, our dentists opt to use oral appliance therapy to treat cases of sleep-breathing disorders. You will be given a customized oral appliance. Worn during the night, this device uses gentle pressure to guide the lower jaw forward. This creates more room in the mouth for the tongue and helps keep an open airway throughout the night.
If you or a member of your family has sleep apnea, start getting the rest you need. Contact Glen Park Dental by calling (415) 585-1500. We provide sleep apnea screenings, along with simple treatment for sleep-breathing disorders for patients in the Bay Area, including San Francisco and Oakland.
