CPAP medical device recommended for severe cases of sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea - While most people with mild sleep apnea are aware that they snore, they may not be aware of the health risks involved. There are plenty of jokes about the risk to marriage of snoring but the health risks to a person with chronic snoring vastly outweigh the relationship stress.

The difference between snoring and sleep apnea

There is a clinical difference between snoring and sleep apnea. It's a difference in degree of breathing difficulty and oxygen deprivation. Sleep apnea can be described as mild, moderate or severe. The way to determine what level of sleep apnea someone is suffering from is to do a sleep study or polysomnogram. This can be done in a sleep laboratory or in a person's home.

Who is at risk for sleep apnea?

Almost everyone snores at some point in their life. Or they may only snore under very special circumstances such as during a cold or allergy season. Interestingly, race, sex and age don't seem to play any role in who gets sleep apnea. However, for chronic snoring, there can be many causes including:

• Small nostrils

• Back sleeper

• Overweight

• Lack of exercise

• Heredity

• Nasal obstruction

• Mouth breather

Drinking alcohol, drug use or using muscle relaxants can also cause snoring or sleep apnea.

What can be done to help with sleep apnea

In February of 2006, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine published new guidelines for the treatment of sleep apnea. According to Minneapolis dentist Scott Shamblott, the guidelines recommend the use of an oral appliance to treat mild to moderate sleep apnea. Dr. Shamblott, examines his patient's throat, nose, mouth, palate, and neck, and checks for underlying health conditions. Based on his findings, he can recommend either oral appliance therapy or a sleep study to determine the severity of the problem.

For severe cases, the use of a CPAP medical device is often recommended. A CPAP applies positive air pressure to the user through an air pump, tube and face mask. While it may take some getting used to, the positive health benefits far outweigh the possible discomfort. An oral appliance can also be used for patients that are not able to tolerate their CPAP.