Combined Therapy – Fort Worth, TX
The Best of Both Worlds
For patients dealing with sleep apnea, they basically have three main treatment options: CPAP therapy, oral appliance therapy, or corrective surgery. Surgery is usually only needed if a patient has a physical blockage in their airway, so for most, it’s a choice between CPAP therapy and oral appliance therapy. However, some severe sleep apnea patients aren’t able to get the results they need from either treatment alone, so what are they to do? With Fort Worth Snoring & Sleep Center there is now another option: combined therapy. This approach uses both of the most popular sleep apnea treatments to help patients get the rest they need without having to undergo surgery or endure an inadequate treatment.
Why Choose Us for Combined Therapy?
- Reliable like a CPAP, comfortable like an oral appliance
- Appliances custom-designed by Dr. Conditt
- Proven more effective than CPAP therapy alone
What is Combined Therapy?
With combined therapy, a CPAP machine and sleep oral appliance are actually used at the same time. A patient sleeps with an oral appliance in their mouth, and they wear a nasal mask connected to a CPAP machine. This approach provides the perfect middle ground for patients who enjoy the comfort of oral appliance therapy but require the reliability of a CPAP machine.
Who is a Good Candidate for Combined Therapy?
- Patients who wear a sleep appliance but still experience sleepiness, snoring, or fatigue
- Patients who use a CPAP machine but still experience sleep apnea symptoms
- Patients who have undergone corrective surgery but still experience sleep apnea symptoms
- Patients who find the CPAP machine on its own uncomfortable and want to try another treatment
The Benefits of Combined Therapy
- Increased Comfort: By far, the biggest complaint with a CPAP machine is that it is uncomfortable to wear and use. The machine is loud, bulky, and the mask makes many people feel claustrophobic! Thankfully, combined therapy helps address all of these problems at once. Because a patient is using an oral appliance, they only need to wear a small nasal mask with their CPAP as opposed to one that covers most of the face. Combined therapy also enables a patient to put their machine on a lower setting, helping reduce the noise as well as the sensation of air being pumped into the mouth and throat.
- Increased Effectiveness: In a study conducted by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, combined therapy was shown to be more effective at reducing apnea events (stoppages in breathing during sleep) than CPAP therapy alone. With just a CPAP machine, patients in the study experienced an average of 4 apnea events an hour. Using combined therapy, the number of apnea events was reduced to just 2, meaning those patients fundamentally got more uninterrupted sleep.
- Increased Convenience: CPAP machines are very hard to travel with, so many patients simply leave them at home whenever they hit the road. For someone using combined therapy, however, they can always easily pack and take their oral appliance with them, ensuring they get a good night’s rest wherever they go.
- Decreased Air Pressure: One of the main complaints with CPAP therapy is the amount of constant pressure forced down the airway to reduce the apneic events. An oral appliance, correctly adjusted, will open the airway allowing the pressure of the CPAP to be reduced.
Is Combined Therapy Right For You?
Fort Worth Snoring & Sleep Center is committed to finding the perfect treatment for each of our patients so they can rest easy and feel energized day after day. If you’re interested in learning more about combined therapy and what it could do for you, we invite you to schedule an appointment with Fort Worth Snoring & Sleep Center today.