Patient/caregiver were instructed regarding lifestyle measures for individuals with obstructive sleep apnea as follows:
- Individuals poorly responding to breathing devices and oral appliances, could choose to undergo tracheostomy. Tracheostomy is a surgical procedure of making a hole through the front of neck into the trachea or windpipe and inserting a trach tube through the hole directly into the trachea. Placement of trach tube helps an individual with poorly controlled sleep apnea breathe, irrespective to the patency of airways. Individuals with tracheostomy must observe compliance with appropriate trach care instructions, as recommended.
- Appropriate tension in the airway muscles of the throat is needed to properly support anatomical soft structures in the throat, such as, the soft palate (the posterior portion of roof of the mouth), uvula (the soft tissue hanging from the soft palate in the back of the mouth), and the tongue. Obese individuals can have excessive fat deposits around the airways, soft palate, and uvula. This fat deposition contributes to increased weight of the soft tissues in the throat, resulting in poorly supported soft tissues with loss of tension. This leads to the soft tissues in the throat being relaxed, fall into the airway, cause obstruction to the airflow, and thus contribute to development of obstructive sleep apnea. Obese individuals must seek investigation into factors contributing to their overweight situation. Obese individuals due to excessive calorie intake must slowly scale down, observe compliance with intake of recommended calorie intake, and cut down some extra pounds, which can help improve the outcome for sleep apnea. Obese individuals due to hypothyroidism must observe compliance with periodical labs ordered for thyroid function evaluation and intake of thyroid supplement, as recommended. Observing compliance with recommended physical exercise, as tolerated, can also contribute towards losing some extra pounds, control obesity, and improve the outcome for sleep apnea.
- Narrowing or closure of the respiratory airways can also occur secondary to factors, such as, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, especially in young children. Enlarged tonsils can lead to closing in on the airways, resulting in obstruction to the airflow pattern, and thus contribute to development of obstructive sleep apnea. These individuals could consider undergoing surgical removal of tonsils or adenoids, which can result in opening of the airways, relieve obstruction to the airflow pattern, reduce the severity of snoring and other symptoms of sleep apnea, and thus contribute to improved outcome.
