Diagnosing Your Sleep Apnea Part Two
Posted on | December 21, 2009 | No Comments
Sleep apnea can for example be quite dangerous in morbidly obese patients who should seek intervention, probably in the form of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). Those suffering from deformaties of the skull or a deviated septum will probably have only a mild form (unless this is the result of an injury). In such cases the individual should decide how severe their condition and whether they want to undergo surgery. For those suffering due to being slightly overweight or from having a large neck, it may be possible to alleviate the symptoms by changing the sleeping position to be more upright, or by lying on one side. From here the patient can then focus on getting exercise and improving their diet to help lose weight.
Central apnea however is much more difficult to treat and generally fairly severe. Treatments such as CPAP are unlikely to prove affective as the problem is not caused by restriction in the airways. Doctors will usually treat such cases with medication, though these have only been shown to be effective to an extent.
While it’s possible for patients to diagnose and prescribe for their own apnea to an extent, it is advisable that they seek the consultation of a medical professional who can advise the best course of action and look for other underlying problems.
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