How Can A Sleep Apnea Clinic in Surrey Help Someone with Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

A sleep apnea clinic in Surrey can diagnose obstructive sleep apnea and then provide a variety of treatments for it ranging from positional therapy through CPAP machines to surgery. The doctor will make their recommendations based on the severity of the patient’s sleep apnea.

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
The clinical therapist will start by taking a detailed medical history. They will assess the patient to check for symptoms and risk factors. They will then give the patient a non-invasive screening device that they will use at home. The device will measure the patient’s oxygen levels, heart rate, and amount and loudness of any snoring. After examining the results, the therapist will make a diagnosis and describe the treatment options that they recommend.

What Is Positional Therapy?
Positional therapy is usually a secondary treatment for sleep apnea. Doctors have noted that sleeping on one’s back can exacerbate sleep apnea while sleeping on the side relieves it. The patient may use special devices to encourage them to sleep on their side. One device, for example, is worn on the back of the neck and starts to vibrate when the patient rolls over on their back. While the vibrations don’t wake the patient, they do cause them to roll over onto their side.

How Does Diet Affect Sleep Apnea?
Being overweight is one of the major risk factors of sleep apnea. One 2008 study found that about 40 percent of overweight men developed sleep apnea, and the heavier they were the greater the chances of their developing it. Conversely, losing as little as ten to fifteen percent of body weight can reduce the severity of sleep apnea by thirty to fifty percent.

The clinical therapist will thus advise the patient on ways to improve their diet and lose weight.

Contact Can Sleep or visit Domain to schedule an appointment with a sleep apnea clinic in Surrey.