Treatment

There are several ways of treating sleep apnoea depending on the severity, body position or anatomical cause. The most common ways are generally CPAP, Mandibular Advancement Splints or Positional Therapy.

CPAP
Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) is a mechanical ventilator that acts as a “pressure splint” to hold the airway open when you are asleep. By using a small mask over the nose, or nose and mouth, the CPAP machine supplies a continuous air pressure that prevents the airway from collapsing. These devices are considered the Gold Standard in treating Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and are well tolerated by many users.

MAS
A Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS) is a custom-molded medical device worn in the mouth used to treat obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring. MAS devices are usually used to treat mild OSA or snoring without OSA present. They work by moving the jaw forward bringing the tongue base forward slightly increasing the circumference of the upper airway.

Positional therapy
Some Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) only occurs when lying on your back, called supine sleep. If the majority of your sleep apnoea is on your back then the Sleep Physician might suggesting using a positional device. A common positional therapy device emits a small vibration when lying on your back causing you to roll to your side, this usually happens without disturbing your sleep or waking you up.

BiPAP
Variable or BiLevel Positive Airway Pressure (VPAP or BiPAP) is a ventilator capable of delivering two different pressures depending on whether you are breathing in or out. These devices are most commonly used in respiratory failure, where more pressure is require to fill up the lungs with air. They have also been used in cases were CPAP fails to treat obstructive sleep apnoea adequately or if you are CPAP intolerant.

Oxygen
Oxygen supplementation is used when despite getting enough airflow to the lungs, and filling the lungs, there is still low blood oxygen level. Delivery can come in two types, a compressed cylinder with a regulator valve or an oxygen concentrator which uses room air and converts it to almost pure oxygen.  Both methods are equally as effective and are suited for different scenarios.

Medication
For some conditions medication is best suited, whether it be asthma, narcolepsy, COPD or many others. Our Respiratory and Sleep Physician will determine if this is the best line of treatment for you and prescribe accordingly.

If diagnosed with an airborne allergy there are some options for treatment. If a single allergy, like the common dust mite, over the counter medication may work as desensitising you to it. If you test positive to a few allergies we can also arrange another form of treatment called Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) which are once-a-day droplets you place under your tongue to slowly desensitise you to the allergens.