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This section for spiritual treatments for sleep apnea comprises energetically oriented treatments that have to do with intention, energy healing, prayer, and in some cases god. These terms may be volatile for some, and for others they will resonate. Regardless, many of these treatments are showing to be profoundly healing for certain individuals with Alzheimer's Disease. Though some people are skeptical, prior notions of these words should be set aside when reading about these spiritual healing treatments, as many of the are truly incredible!
So take a look at which spirit treatments have been used for sleep apnea or other health challenges, and even add any that are missing!
Yoga involves physical poses, breathing techniques, and meditation that are done with controlled breathing to promote relaxation of your mind and body. This form of mental and physical discipline began thousands of years ago in India. The word yoga was derived from a Sanskrit word which means to yoke or unify. With yoga, you unite your mind and body by focusing on carrying out quiet and precise movements that require balance as well as concentration. Uniting you mind with your body will boost your mental and physical health.
The conscious breathing exercises specifically can help with the treatment of sleep apnea, along with other lifestyle modifications.
Sleep Apnea has been called a lifestyle disease, meaning that it results from lifestyle choices. Diet is often a major contributor to a sleep apnea diagnosis. Obesity is the biggest risk factor in developing sleep apnea.
Losing Weight
As little as a 10% weight loss can greatly reduce the number of sleep apnea episodes that occur each night, so consider losing weight or maintaining healthy weight to help with your sleep apnea.
More information about specific diets for weight loss is available here. :
Avoiding Alcohol
Alcohol acts as a nervous system depressant which means it affects the brain, causing it to function more slowly and less effectively. Using alcohol will increase the frequency of sleep apnea episodes.
Sleep Apnea has been called a lifestyle disease, meaning that it results from lifestyle choices. Diet is often a major contributor to a sleep apnea diagnosis. Obesity is the biggest risk factor in developing sleep apnea.
Losing Weight
As little as a 10% weight loss can greatly reduce the number of sleep apnea episodes that occur each night, so consider loosing losing weight or maintaining healthy weight to help with your sleep apnea.
More information about specific diets for weight loss is available here:
Avoiding Alcohol
Alcohol acts as a nervous system depressant which means it affects the brain, causing it to function more slowly and less effectively. Using alcohol will increase the frequency of sleep apnea episodes.
American Sleep Apnea Association website. Available at: http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/evaluated.html . Published May 2005. Accessed September 17, 2008.
Cecil R, Goldman L, Benett JC. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2000.
Snoring. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/snoring.cfm . Accessed September 17, 2008.
NINDS sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleepapnea/sleepapnea.htm . Updated June 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.
What is sleep apnea? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.n... . Updated February 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.
Some people find that sleeping on one side, rather than sleeping on their backs or on their bellies, greatly reduces sleep apnea. You can use a variety of pillows to comfortably prop yourself on your side.
Sleep Apnea has been called a lifestyle disease, meaning that it results from lifestyle choices. Diet is often a major contributor to a sleep apnea diagnosis. Obesity is the biggest risk factor in developing sleep apnea.
Losing Weight
As little as a 10% weight loss can greatly reduce the number of sleep apnea episodes that occur each night, so consider losing weight or maintaining healthy weight to help with your sleep apnea.
More information about specific diets for weight loss is available here:
Avoiding Alcohol
Alcohol acts as a nervous system depressant which means it affects the brain, causing it to function more slowly and less effectively. Using alcohol will increase the frequency of sleep apnea episodes.
Sleep Apnea has been called a lifestyle disease, meaning that it results from lifestyle choices. Diet is often a major contributor to a sleep apnea diagnosis. Obesity is the biggest risk factor in developing sleep apnea.
Losing Weight
As little as a 10% weight loss can greatly reduce the number of sleep apnea episodes that occur each night, so consider losing weight or maintaining healthy weight to help with your sleep apnea.
More information about specific diets for weight loss is available here:
Avoiding Alcohol
Alcohol acts as a nervous system depressant which means it affects the brain, causing it to function more slowly and less effectively. Using alcohol will increase the frequency of sleep apnea episodes.
This is a surgery for sleep apnea. An electrode that emits radio waves and heat is used to destroy excess tissue at the base of the tongue. This device is applied to the palate and the base of tongue. It works by shrinking tissue that blocks the airway, thereby widening it and enabling airflow. Most people notice decreased snoring and decreased daytime sleepiness after ten 20-minute treatments. This is effective for snoring but has not been shown to be effective in treatment of sleep apnea.1 Regardless, the effect of this treatment may improve satisfaction with sleep and reduce daytime sleepiness and other risks associated with sleep apnea.
It is one of a handful of options of surgery for sleep apnea.
Treatment Areas |
This procedure allows stiffening of the palate by implanting permanent pieces of silastic, a silicone elastomer. This procedure may be more effective for treating snoring than sleep apnea. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, the implant may help to reduce daytime sleepiness.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, dental devices have shown better long-term control of sleep apnea when compared to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), which is the standard surgical treatment. There are also few complications with a dental device, and they are easier to use than CPAP devices, resulting in better long-term compliance. Dental devices are most effective as a treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
Mandibular Advancement Splint |
Several dental devices are available for the treatment of sleep apnea. These devices may hold the tongue down, thrust it forward, or thrust the lower jaw forward.
Some devices used to treat sleep apnea are:
Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS)
The MAS maintains the lower jaw in a protruded position, which prevents collapse of the pharynx. It is less effective than the CPAP, but it is generally preferred for mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea due to greater ease of use and the fact that there are fewer side effects.
Tongue Retraining Device |
Tongue-Retraining Device (TRD)
This device uses a slight negative pressure from air displacement to hold the tongue in place outside of the mouth, preventing it from falling back into the throat.
This device holds the tongue in place outside of the mouth to prevent it from falling back into the throat. It is recommended for patients who do not tolerate the CPAP machine. Based on polysomnograms of 36 users, the TRD was shown in one study to be 71% effective in reducing apnea events. Among the noncompliant participants, reasons for discontinuing use were discomfort or sensation of a foreign body, pain, excessive salivation, excessive mouth dryness, and aesthetic reasons.1
CPAP devices are very effective, and are the gold standard for treating sleep apnea. The biggest obstacles are cost, compliance, and correct fit and usage. When considering using a CPAP, it is important to remember that this is not a cure for sleep apnea, but a long-term solution that requires consistent use to maintain the benefits.
CPAP Machine. Image: Healthwise International. |
There are several different systems available that deliver air and pressure through the nose or mouth. The continuous delivery of pressurized air helps to keep the tissues in the throat open. Some CPAP masks fit over the mouth and nose, others fit over only the nose. Machines available have varying levels of sophistication, ranging from:
- Delivering preset amount of air at a preset unit of pressure.
- Delivering more pressure with every inhalation and a bit less with every exhalation.
- Monitoring breathing and adding pressure only if the machine senses a breathing abnormality.
CPAP devices do provide clear and consistent benefits, and are a great alternative to surgery.
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor medication that has been used to reduce the number of apnea attacks. Omeprazole prevents symptoms and damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by stomach acid or infection, which can also cause sleep apnea. You should only be prescribed Omeprazole if you are suffering from symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux. Additionally, symptoms of many of conditions like acid reflux can be diminished when changes are made to diet and other lifestyle factors.
U.S. Brand Names
- Prilosec OTC™ [OTC]
- Prilosec®
Canadian Brand Names
- Apo-Omeprazole®
- Losec MUPS®
- Losec®
- Mylan-Omeprazole
- PMS-Omeprazole
- PMS-Omeprazole DR
- ratio-Omeprazole
- Sandoz-Omeprazole
Mexican Brand Names
- Aleprozil
- Azoran
- Domer
- Inhibitron
- Losec
- Mopral
- Olexin
- Prazidec
- Suifac
- Ulsen
- Vulcasid
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/snoring.cfm . Accessed September 17, 2008.
Cecil R, Goldman L, Benett JC. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2000.
NINDS sleep apnea information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sleepapnea/sleepapnea.htm . Updated June 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.
Obstructive sleep apnea. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated September 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.
What is sleep apnea? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.n... . Updated February 2008. Accessed September 17, 2008.
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor medication that has been used to reduce the number of apnea attacks. Omeprazole prevents symptoms and damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by stomach acid or infection, which can also cause sleep apnea. You should only be prescribed Omeprazole if you are suffering from symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux. Additionally, symptoms of many of conditions like acid reflux can be diminished when changes are made to diet and other lifestyle factors.
U.S. Brand Names
- Prilosec OTC™ [OTC]
- Prilosec®
Canadian Brand Names
- Apo-Omeprazole®
- Losec MUPS®
- Losec®
- Mylan-Omeprazole
- PMS-Omeprazole
- PMS-Omeprazole DR
- ratio-Omeprazole
- Sandoz-Omeprazole
Mexican Brand Names
- Aleprozil
- Azoran
- Domer
- Inhibitron
- Losec
- Mopral
- Olexin
- Prazidec
- Suifac
- Ulsen
- Vulcasid
Omeprazole is also used to prevent or treat:
- gastrointestinal ulcers caused by infection.
- gastroesophageal reflux disease.
- heartburn.
- syndromes caused by huge amounts of stomach acid.
- ulcers of the esophagus (swallowing tube).
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor medication that has been used to reduce the number of apnea attacks. Omeprazole prevents symptoms and damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by stomach acid or infection, which can also cause sleep apnea. You should only be prescribed Omeprazole if you are suffering from symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux. Additionally, symptoms of many of conditions like acid reflux can be diminished when changes are made to diet and other lifestyle factors.
U.S. Brand Names
- Prilosec OTC™ [OTC]
- Prilosec®
Canadian Brand Names
- Apo-Omeprazole®
- Losec MUPS®
- Losec®
- Mylan-Omeprazole
- PMS-Omeprazole
- PMS-Omeprazole DR
- ratio-Omeprazole
- Sandoz-Omeprazole
Mexican Brand Names
- Aleprozil
- Azoran
- Domer
- Inhibitron
- Losec
- Mopral
- Olexin
- Prazidec
- Suifac
- Ulsen
- Vulcasid
Modafinil is also used to treat narcolepsy and breathing problems in addition to being for sleeping problems like sleep apnea.
Modafinil is a stimulant that has been used to reduce sleepiness in people with daytime sleepiness. Modafinil stimulates the brain in adults to increase alertness as well as the rate of breathing.
US Brand Name:
- Provigil®
Canadian Brand Names:
- Alertec®
- Apo-Modafinil®
Mexican Brand Name:
- Modiodal
If problems are identified that may be contributing to sleep apnea, and if the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment fails, it may be beneficial to have surgery. These may include:
- Tonsillectomy (for enlarged tonsils)
- Removal of nasal polyps
- Surgery to straighten a deviated septum
- Correction of facial or jaw deformities
- Removal of tissue in the throat (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty)
There are specialized procedures that are used to treat problems that may be contributing to sleep apnea. Each has variable success rates, with the potential for surgical complications.
Because sleep apnea is caused by being overweight or obese, bariatric surgery may also be worth considering if other weight loss approaches have failed.
