Sunday, June 26, 2011

Nasal spray and sleep apnea

Whether it is nasal allergies or a deviated septum your sinuses seem to play a big part in your sleep apnea.  In the past I have written about how one doctor told me that I had a deviated septum while two other doctors told me I didn't.  Frankly even if I had the deviated septum surgery I don’t think it would have helped my sleep apnea much.  Although I wonder if my nose didn’t seem stopped up all the time, if I would start breathing through my nose at night instead of my mouth, it’s hard to say.  But it seems to be a big deal to a lot of folks with OSA, including children.
Recently I read an article in MedPagetoday.com that said that nasal sprays would actually help children with mild sleep apnea. According to the article “Some studies have shown that intranasal corticosteroid therapy -- used predominantly in allergic rhinitis and nasal polyposis -- has been shown to improve mild obstructive sleep apnea in children.”  That sounds pretty good even if it is only in mild sleep apnea.
I have been prescribed nasal sprays in the past (not for sleep apnea though) for a stuffed up a nose and congestion. In my own case I don’t think that it helped that much.  But I would certainly check with a doctor to see if a nasal spray would be helpful in your own case.
Feel free to comment and please subscribe to my RSS Feed
Thanks
Related Posts


1 comment:

  1. Finding the right doctor is probably the most important thing. Although these procedures have become more common, they are no less serious than a regular surgery, and a choice of doctor is just as important.

    alj

    ReplyDelete