If you suffer from sleep apnea, you know how limited your options for treatment can be. Most people with sleep apnea are prescribed continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which requires the use of a complicated machine with an uncomfortable mask. As a result, many don’t use their CPAP machine as prescribed, which means they’re not actually addressing or treating their sleep apnea. This is extremely dangerous, as sleep apnea has been found to cause depression, cognitive issues, and can contribute to or worsen diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and even stroke.Thankfully, there are alternative therapies to CPAP, including custom sleep orthotics like those available through Dr. Peterson. These comfortable oral devices fit into your mouth and position your airway open so that you can breathe easier in the reclining position.But now, new research from the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Flinders University has found there may be another partial solution to sleep apnea. By repurposing drugs which contain reboxetine and butylbromidem, these medications could help address sleep apnea signs during the night.In the study, reboxetine and butylbromide were found to increase the muscle activity in the airway, lessening the severity of patients’ sleep apnea symptoms by 30 percent.While this is promising news for those with sleep apnea, with only a 30 percent reduction, it may not be enough to treat sleep apnea fully. That, and as it is only in the research stages, it could be years before treatments with reboxetine and butylbromide could be available to patients not in the study. Furthermore, for those who prefer a more natural way of life and do not want to take medications, this solution may not be the best solution at all.If you are interested in a sleep apnea solution that doesn’t require the use of awkward machinery or pharmaceuticals, there is good news. Dr. Peterson offers sleep orthotics that are customized to fit your mouth and comfortably position the airway open while you sleep. All this is done naturally, without electricity or medication, and it’s been proven to be effective and safe.To learn more about sleep appliances from Dr. Peterson, please contact the office and schedule a consultation today.