Discover what might work best for you.
If this is the case, diet and exercise may be all the treatment that you need.
If this is the case, you may find that sleeping on your side is the solution.
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This may be accomplished by propping your body with a pile of pillows.
Another solution is to sew atennis ballinto the back of a T-shirt.
Wearing this to bed will keep you from shifting to your back while you are asleep.
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There are also more expensive positioners including Slumber Bump, Zzoma, and Night Shift.
What about raising the head of the bed?
Some people have decreased apnea if they have the head of their bed slightly elevated.
Brandon Peters, M.D.
Newer beds may venture to automate these adjustments for you.
Oral Appliances
Brandon Peters, M.D.
There are specially designedoral appliancesor dental devices that may be helpful in correcting anatomical problems.
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If you have a short or recessed jaw, a mandibular advancement unit may move things into better position.
This shifts the tongue forward and reduces crowding within the airway.
It is typically specially fitted at a specialty dentists office.
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It is worn at night and it can successfully treat mild to moderate sleep apnea for some people.
Avoiding these agents in the hours before bedtime may improve your symptoms of sleep apnea and snoring.
You may also need to be careful about the use of prescription medication such assleeping pillsand narcotic pain medications.
Surgery
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There are multiple surgical options that may be deployed.
Historically, the most common is called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).
Surgery of thesoft palatealone is also possible.
Other (more extreme) options includetracheostomy, which is a surgical incision at the front of the windpipe.
Removal of the tonsils and adenoids may be helpful in select cases, especially in children.
There is also the option of surgical advancement of the jaw.
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