Sleep apnea: Searching for the best treatment

More than 18 million American adults are suffering from sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. This condition, which starves the body of oxygen, can lead to heart conditions, high blood pressure, and mood and memory problems. The most common form of the condition is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep, causing shallow or interrupted breathing.

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It is important for people with this life-threatening disorder to seek medical attention immediately. For those with mild sleep apnea, lifestyle changes such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and not drinking alcohol before bedtime can reduce the occurrence of the condition. Some are advised to wear dental appliances, like a mouth guard, which repositions the mandible (lower jaw) and keeps the airway open.

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Others, particularly those with severe apnea, turn to surgery for relief. A recent ABC Action News report featured how Susan Yeats of Florida turned to surgery to treat her sleep apnea. Yeats noted that the surgery, which is originally performed to correct jaw relationship problems, improved her breathing and reduced the occurrence of her sleep apnea.

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Called maxillomandibular advancement or MMA, the surgery is deemed a “radical procedure” for it moves the mouth, tongue, and chin forward permanently to enlarge the airway. The surgery, isn’t for everyone with sleep apnea, especially those doing well with continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP, the gold standard of treatment for mild to severe apnea. But for Yeats and others who are desperate to get a permanent fix to their sleep apnea, the surgery seems like a viable alternative.

This website provides information on the various treatment options for sleep apnea offered at Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, P.A.