Can you cure sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts while a person is sleeping. It affects millions of people worldwide and can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. But can you cure sleep apnea? Let’s talk about this.
First, it’s important to understand that sleep apnea is a chronic condition, meaning it cannot be cured completely. However, the severity of sleep apnea can can sometimes be reduced through lifestyle and behavioral changes.
Lifestyle and Behavior Changes to Improve Sleep Apnea
Here are some ‘natural remedies’ that can help manage sleep apnea symptoms:
Lose Weight: Excess weight is a common risk factor for sleep apnea, so losing weight can help improve symptoms.
Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives: Alcohol and sedatives can relax the muscles in your throat, making it more difficult to breathe during sleep.
Change Sleeping Position: Sleeping on your back can make sleep apnea worse. Try sleeping on your side or with your head in an elevated position to help keep your airway open.
Exercise Regularly: Regular exercise can help strengthen the muscles in your throat, making it less likely that they will collapse during sleep.
Use a Humidifier: Dry air can irritate the tissues in your throat, making it more difficult to breathe. Using a humidifier can help keep the air moist and reduce symptoms.
Medical Treatments for OSA
If lifestyle changes and natural remedies don’t improve your sleep apnea symptoms, your doctor may recommend medical treatments.
Here are some medical options for treating sleep apnea:
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy: CPAP therapy involves wearing a mask over your nose and/or mouth while you sleep. The mask is connected to a machine that delivers a continuous stream of air pressure to keep your airway open.
Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT): A non-invasive treatment for sleep apnea that involves wearing a custom-fitted dental appliance to keep the airway open during sleep.
Surgery: Surgery may be an option if other treatments haven’t worked. Surgical options for sleep apnea include uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), which removes excess tissue from the throat, and maxillomandibular advancement (MMA), which repositions the jaw to keep the airway open.
Surgical Implant: The Inspire sleep apnea device is a surgically implanted device that delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles during sleep to keep the airway open.
While sleep apnea cannot be cured completely, it can be managed effectively with the right treatment plan. Lifestyle changes and natural remedies can help improve symptoms in many cases, but medical treatments like CPAP therapy and surgery may be necessary for more severe cases.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, it’s important to speak with your doctor. They can help you determine the best course of treatment to manage your symptoms and improve your overall health and quality of life.
The Bongo Rx was first released in 2019 and has quickly become one of the most innovative EPAP devices in the market. A portable nasal device that uses expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the Bongo Rx is a competitor of the Provent Sleep Apnea device. These two EPAP devices share a few similarities.
Portable
Nasal devices
No power required
Uses EPAP during exhalation to keep your airway open
FDA cleared to treat mild to moderate OSA
A frequently asked question we hear from a lot of our potential customers is, “What’s the difference between the Bongo Rx and Provent?” Despite their similarities, the Bongo Rx and the Provent Sleep Apnea device have several major differences. This article is not about provent reviews. This is a brief Bongo Rx vs. the Provent Sleep Apnea device comparison, pointing out what makes these FDA-cleared sleep apnea devices unique from each other.
The Bongo Rx Is Reusable, Provent Sleep Apnea Device is Disposable
One of the biggest differences between the Bongo Rx and the Provent Sleep Apnea Device is that the Bongo Rx is designed to be reusable. Made up of soft silicone nasal pillows and sturdy plastic valves, the Bongo Rx is reusable up to 90 days. All users have to do is gently hand wash the device with mild unscented soap and warm water after every use. In comparison, the Provent device is disposable and designed for one-time use. A standard pack of Provent Therapy includes 30 devices, which provides 30 nights of sleep apnea therapy.
Avoid Sticky Adhesive
Users don’t have to deal with sticky adhesive with the Bongo Rx nasal EPAP. Soft silicone nasal pillows directly seal just inside the nostrils. Every Bongo Rx starter kit comes with multiple pillow sizes (1 small, 1 medium, 1 large, 1 extra-large), allowing users to find their best fit. Since there is no adhesive, users can adjust the Bongo Rx as many times as they need to. What is provent? The Provent Sleep Apnea device uses hypoallergenic adhesive to seal onto the nasal openings. Since the adhesive gets weaker every time its repositioned, users are only able to adjust the device a limited number of times to get a good seal.
More Comfortable OSA Therapy
A recent study published in the Chest Journal, the official publication of the American College of Chest Physicians, concluded that the Bongo Rx may result in more comfortable obstructive sleep apnea therapy by providing a significantly lower expiratory WOB (work of breathing) than the Provent device.1 This decreased expiratory WOB is achieved because the Bongo Rx delivers a significantly lower average inspiratory and expiratory RTF (resistance to flow).
If you suffer from mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, consult with your doctor to see if EPAP therapy is right for you. The reusable Bongo RxA more convenient alternative to CPAP because it increases the convenience of EPAP therapy. For effective obstructive sleep apnea treatment, ask your doctor about the Bongo Rx.
Learn About The New Reusable Micro-Sized and Effective CPAP Alternative That Does Not Require a Machine, Mask or Hose – Bongo Rx EPAP Therapy
Some symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea for you to consider. Do you often get woken up in the middle of the night by a severe coughing fit? Does your sleeping partner complain about your loud snoring? Restless nights and not getting enough hours of sleep are so normalized in our fast-paced world that bad sleeping patterns may not seem out of the ordinary. However, nighttime coughing fits and loud snoring may be signs you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that causes your breathing to repeatedly stop and start while you sleep. Out of the different types of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. It occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax, collapsing the airway during sleep and blocking normal breathing. Loud snoring is one of the more obvious obstructive sleep apnea symptoms, but there are other signs to look out for.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms
If you experience one or more of these symptoms listed below, there is a chance you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.
Loud snoring
Abrupt awakening accompanied by gasping or choking
Periods of stopped breathing during sleep
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Morning headaches
Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
Nighttime sweating
Difficulty concentrating during the day
Mood changes such as depression or irritability
High blood pressure
Decreased libido
Consult with your doctor on how to get a diagnosis and the different methods of treatment for sleep apnea if you are experiencing the following:
Your snoring is disturbing you and your sleeping partner’s sleep
Regularly waking up gasping or choking
You stop breathing intermittently during sleep
Excessive daytime drowsiness causes you to fall asleep at work or while driving
How to Get an Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
In order to be diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, you will need to consult with your doctor. They will make an evaluation based on your signs and symptoms as well as the results of some tests. If they think its necessary, they may refer you to a sleep specialist for further evaluation.
With a physical examination, your doctor will look at the back of your throat, mouth, and nose to check for extra tissues or other abnormalities. They may also check your blood pressure, your weight, and your neck circumference. A sleep specialist will conduct additional evaluations in order to reach an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis, which can include multiple tests.
Polysomnography (PSG).This sleep study hooks you up to equipment to monitor your heart, lung, and brain activity, breathing patterns, leg and arm movements, and blood oxygen levels while you sleep. Conducted as a full-night study or split-night study at a sleep lab, a polysomnography test can diagnosis you with OSA and help rule out other sleep disorders.
Home Sleep Testing (HST). Depending on the circumstances, your doctor might provide you with a version of the sleep test that you can do at home. This test measures airflow, breathing patterns, blood oxygen levels, limb movements, and snoring intensity.
Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea
After being diagnosed with OSA, there are several treatment methods your doctor may suggest. Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, regularly exercising, and quitting cigarettes are often recommended. If these changes don’t improve your sleep, there are a few therapies your doctor can recommend. Positive airway pressure, also known as CPAP therapy, is the most common, while surgery (see Inspire Sleep Apnea Device) is the most extreme option.
For those who can’t tolerate CPAP or want to avoid the bulky machines, masks, and hoses, expiratory positive airway pressure or EPAP therapy is an effective CPAP alternative. Those who want to try EPAP should consider the Bongo RX. The Bongo RX is a reusable sleep apnea nasal device that delivers convenient and effective EPAP therapy wherever you fall asleep. It is FDA-cleared to treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
Learn About The New CPAP Alternative That Does Not Require a Machine, Mask or Hose – Bongo Rx EPAP Therapy
