I was recently diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. I am male, only 24 and have a good body composition. I have what the doctor described as a “moderately crowded” airway.
I will be getting my CPAP soon, which I expect will allow me to get deep, restful sleep for the first time in years, I can’t wait.
But, I don’t necessarily want to settle for this as the end-all, long term solution up front. If this problem has a very simple pathology (because it is a mechanical problem, for the most part), it may have some hidden, clever fix waiting for me and the doctors to find and fix. I would like all of you to participate in a brainstorm about how this could be remedied without an intrusive procedure such as surgery to remove parts of my body.
Starting off here: I was realizing that some of my buddies who occasionally sleep over at my place have an amazingly powerful resting tension of their jaw muscles. While they sleep in my lazyboy-style chair with their head fixed at about 45 degrees, their jaws don’t slouch or hang down a bit! (Mine is hanging down wide open.) Then, some others have theirs hanging down just like mine. It just so happens that those are the ones that snore!
First and most important question: Is there any way to improve, through injections, exercises, ect. the resting tension of the soft tissue in my airway temporarily and/or permanently?
Second observation: I was realizing that the drier my mucousa becomes, the more inflammed it gets and the more likely I am to snore and have episodes. My place is air conditioned and I have an air purifier in the room (and I live in S. Florida), so the air is normal. I believe this happens both when I breathe through my nose AND mouth, although it is more prevalent when breathing through my mouth of course.
Second question: Is there any way to combat my mucousa from drying out during the night (eatable wax, humidified air, ect.)?
Third question: Is it feasible to try to create a framework for my airway to stay open during the night, such as a ball-shaped framework that I literally stick down my throat? (If it is just a frame-work, it cannot obstruct my airway and make me choke, although it could stimulate my vagus nerve and mess with my heart rate.)
It might be something that I would have to get used to, but if all I have to do is stick a ball of metal (or other material) into my oropharynx and call it a night, that would truly be a godsend!
Thanks for your help with my problem, which is many others’ problem as well.