To get insurance coverage for your OSA treatments, CPAP machine, or other devices (like a portable oxygen concentrator for supplemental oxygen therapy during the day), you must get an official diagnosis from a health care provider.
See how your sleep habits and environment measure up and gauge how adjusting behavior can improve sleep quality.
Physical activity has also been shown to improve symptoms of OSA, even among individuals who do not lose weight. If dietary changes and exercise are not effective in reducing symptoms, doctors may suggest bariatric surgery.
Regarding the efficacy of surgical treatments for OSA, Dr. Cacho says the best results occur when tonsils that are too large are removed. Improvements may also occur in individuals with OSA who have a piece of their tongue removed to reduce its size, she adds.
“Positional therapy encourages people to maintain a side-sleeping position, which helps prevent the relaxation of throat muscles and tongue that can block the airway and lead to sleep apnea events,” Silver said.
While CPAP is helpful for many people with obstructive sleep apnea, some people don’t respond to this type of treatment.
While CPAP machines are very effective, they may not be the right choice for everyone. Some people may find sleeping with a CPAP mask uncomfortable. Luckily, there are many CPAP alternative treatments for sleep apnea. Here, our Reviews Team walks you through some of the other effective options.
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The CPAP device needs to be used every night. Some patients complain of mask discomfort, nasal congestion, and nose and throat dryness when using CPAP. Others find the device to be too constrictive and cumbersome, particularly when traveling.
It might be encouraging to know, though, that it’s common for people with sleep apnea to feel the same (or even worse) right after starting CPAP therapy.
Customer Service Expert Carol says: May 21, 2019 at 11:09 am Hi James, I am sorry that you were not able to receive any relief using your CPAP Therapy. I totally understand that how frustrating it is when being told that using CPAP Therapy will help you get a good night’s sleep only to find that you are having the same sleepiness.
Each type of sleep product is tested using a unique set of performance criteria. We also assign ratings based on feedback from testers who fall into specific categories based on weight and sleep position (i.e. side sleepers who weigh 130 to 230 pounds).