Is CPAP Annoyance Keeping You Up at Night?

For many years, the go-to solution for sleep apnea has been the CPAP machine. CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a machine that increases airway pressure to keep your airway from collapsing when you are asleep. It is an effective treatment, but recent studies have shown that alternatives to CPAP are better for patients who suffer from CPAP annoyance. Nearly 60% of CPAP users abandon the treatment, and the average length of treatment each night for those who do continue to use their CPAP is less than 6 hours, making the treatment an inadequate solution for everyone.

What Is CPAP Annoyance?

CPAP annoyance is the inability to tolerate the CPAP because of issues with the way the mask feels on the face, the noise of the machine, or the inability to sleep with the mask on. CPAP annoyance is the most common reason why patients with sleep apnea stop using the device. For these patients, alternative treatments for sleep apnea should be considered.

What CPAP Alternatives Are Available?

For more serious obstructions, there are a variety of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures that can be performed to remove tissue that is obstructing the airway or to readjust the tongue to prevent it from obstructing the airway at night. However, for many people who have obstructive sleep apnea and CPAP annoyance, a CPAP dental appliance offers an exceptional alternative treatment with great results. At eos dental sleep, we offer CPAP alternatives to the CPAP mask using oral appliance therapy (OAT).

More than 90 percent of sleep apnea patients treated with a dental appliance for sleep apnea were still using their appliances comfortably at the end of one year. Compared to the 60% abandonment rate for CPAP annoyance, this is significant.

I Need a CPAP Alternative

If you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, or if you have severe obstructive sleep apnea but cannot tolerate a CPAP mask, oral appliance therapy may be the most effective treatment available. If you are interested in learning more about oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea in Philadelphia, schedule an appointment today.