Summertime is here, and before you know it, it will be the holiday season. For many of us, this year especially, this means it’s time to hit the road – it’s travel season! But before you head out on that epic summer road trip or head to the mountains for that annual camping trip, have you thought about your sleep apnea? More specifically, have you thought about how you will treat your sleep apnea while you’re on the road?
For millions of Americans with sleep apnea, a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device is the gold standard in sleep apnea treatment. But for others, CPAP can be awkward and uncomfortable. But even on its best day, CPAP has its drawbacks. For starters, it needs to be hooked up to a power source, something that may or may not be readily available during road trips, airline flights, camping trips, and during power outages. Even if you love your CPAP machine, have you thought about what might happen if you were ever without it?
Recently, millions of CPAP machines were recalled due to a dangerous foam product used inside. This has left millions of users without a safe machine to use, with some facing a year or more without their unit due to supply chain issues. For those users affected by the recall, for those who don’t like their CPAP, and for those traveling without electricity, what can be done?
The solution is easier than you may have realized. A custom made sleep orthotic that fits your individual mouth may be the answer to all of your CPAP dilemmas. These custom made orthotics are designed in Dr. Mingus’ office, and gently prop the airway open manually, so that you can breathe while you sleep. Sleep orthotics are generally found to be more comfortable than CPAP machines, and have thus been found to be more effective than CPAP therapy in some cases.
Because sleep orthotics manually prop the airway open, they do not require electricity or batteries to work, and are thus more portable. You can use them anywhere, whether you have power or not. They can be used as a temporary replacement for CPAP, or every single day instead of CPAP therapy.
To learn more about sleep orthotics and your options for treating sleep apnea, please contact Dr. Mingus today.