Sleep Apnea Machine
When sleep apnea cannot be adequately resolved by implementing holistic medications or even by implementing positive lifestyle changes, physicians and sleep researchers have devised several sleep apnea machines that have proven themselves to help some of the more persistent cases for sufferers. Each sleep apnea machine performs its treatment functions according to the needs of varying degrees of sleep apnea severity.
One such sleep apnea machine is prescribed for sleep apnea sufferers that have the condition as a result of a misaligned jaw bone. These types of sleep apnea result from undue pressure being placed on the airways from the jaw, constricting them. An oral appliance therapy (OAT) is often prescribed that alleviates the stress from the misaligned jaw bone and only has to be worn at night while the patient is sleeping.
More complex sleep apnea machines include devices that supply oxygen to the sufferer throughout the night to maintain a beneficial oxygen and carbon dioxide balance. The most common of these sleep apnea machines is the CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure device. The CPAP delivers a constant stream of pressurized air to the sufferer via a mask that covers the nose and mouth or via a tube that is entered directly into the nasal passages. Another sleep apnea machine that is similar to the CPAP is the bilevel PAP, or bilevel positive airway pressure device. The bilevel PAP also supplies pressurized air to the sleep apnea sufferer, but does so according their breathing pattern, which often produces favorable results. The newest sleep apnea machine in the pressurized air delivery family is the ASV, or adaptive servo-ventilation system. The ASV uses computer technology that creates a profile for the sufferer by closely monitoring their breathing habits. It then supplies pressurized air according to the personalized profile that it has created, effectively giving the sleep apnea sufferer a much more regulated, natural oxygen flow.
While not technically a “machine,” a new sleep apnea procedure called the Pillar procedure utilizes small polyester rods that are surgically placed into the patient’s soft palate. The inserted rods support and stiffen the soft palate which drastically reduces snoring and obstructions that can result of the relaxed tissue. The Pillar procedure sleep apnea machine has proven to show extremely favorable results for mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea and is considered to be a very minimally invasive treatment.