OSA Treatment Options
What is sleep apnea and AHI?
What if you test positive?
We can answer your questions and provide information but we do not make recommendations. The type of treatment you receive is your decision and should be made after careful consideration and review of your test results and the available therapy options.
Compliance with pap therapy is defined by Medicare as using the therapy for a minimum of 4 hours per night 70% of the time.
In an effort to increase compliance, you may use more than one option for treatment or combine treatments. For example, using a oral appliance in conjunction with pap therapy may be more comfortable due to the lessened requirement for higher pap pressure. If you have severe sleep apnea, having a procedure performed by an ENT may reduce the obstruction to the point an oral appliance can be used without pap therapy.
- Lifestyle changes for treating OSA may include losing weight, changing the position you sleep in, or exercising regularly.
- Auto-Adjusting Positive Airway Pressure (APAP) evaluates your respiratory effort and adjust the pressure as needed to alleviate obstructions so you can breath normally.
- Oral appliances for OSA pull the jaw forward to prevent the tongue from blocking the throat.
- Inspire therapy is a new treatment option for people with OSA that senses breathing patterns and delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles, which keeps the airway open during sleep.
- Anatomy altering surgeries for OSA seek to make the airway larger by removing certain soft tissues of the airway and sometimes realigning boney structures of the face or jaw.
What is sleep apnea and AHI?
- Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing. A hypopnea is when your airflow doesn’t stop, but it is restricted, you are not getting all the air you should be.
- Your apnea / hypopnea index (AHI) is the average number of events (apneas + hypopneas) that occur per hour.
- If you AHI is 4 or lower, that’s considered normal breathing for an adult during sleep.
- What is mild sleep apnea? Mild sleep apnea is defined as having less than 15 sleep apnea events per hour. AHI from 5 to 15.
- What is moderate sleep apnea? Moderate sleep apnea is defined as having less than 30 sleep apnea events per hour. AHI from 15 to 30.
- What is severe sleep apnea? Severe sleep apnea is defined as having more than 30 sleep apnea events per hour. AHI 30+
What if you test positive?
We can answer your questions and provide information but we do not make recommendations. The type of treatment you receive is your decision and should be made after careful consideration and review of your test results and the available therapy options.
- The general consensus for treatment of mild sleep apnea includes various ENT procedures, using a oral appliance or using pap therapy.
- For treatment of moderate sleep apnea, using a oral appliance or pap therapy has been shown to be effective.
- The use of pap therapy is typically the only treatment recommended when you have severe sleep apnea .
Compliance with pap therapy is defined by Medicare as using the therapy for a minimum of 4 hours per night 70% of the time.
In an effort to increase compliance, you may use more than one option for treatment or combine treatments. For example, using a oral appliance in conjunction with pap therapy may be more comfortable due to the lessened requirement for higher pap pressure. If you have severe sleep apnea, having a procedure performed by an ENT may reduce the obstruction to the point an oral appliance can be used without pap therapy.