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I have a 17 year old son who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea since he was about 13. Has has not been able to adjust to it. We have tried several different masks with no help. I had heard about dentists making mouth guards to connect to the machine. Has anyone else heard of this? Is so, where would I find out about ?.  Thanks in advance for your help.

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Sleepsearch.com will help you find a dentist in your area. If that does not work talk to your dentist about this.
Be aware that dental devices are only effective in case of mild to moderate sleep apnea. Quite often the problem people have in adjusting can be that the machine is set to the wrong pressure. Here are some tips to help achieve CPAP success: http://sleepwellandlive.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/top-ten-tips-for-c... These are tips from a fully accredited sleep disorders laboratory that also operates CPAP stores.
Try the breathing strips, such as "Breathrite" that athletes wear. I am 76 years old and could not tolerate the masks.
The strips stopped me from snoring and greatly improved my sleep. they are not 100% effective in controlling sleep
apnea, but neither are the masks. The strips have made my sleep much better. There are a few brands, including
some store brands that are cheaper. The main problem with them is keeping them in place all night. One side
may come loose. The cheaper brands are worse at this. I put paper tape over mine and have little trouble with
them coming loose during the night.
Cpap pro has an upper mouthpiece that holds nasal pillows in place. There is no mask. Check out: http://www.nomask.com/.
While Robert may have hit a solution, please remember that sleep apnea is most often caused by narrowing or collapsing in the airways beyond the nasal passage. Breath rite strips have no effect on that. CPAP pressure is one proven method of keeping those airways open for better sleep.
There are tons of different masks to try. How high of a pressure are they setting it at? If it's too high I certainly understand. When I went through my first trial, they ran the machine up to well over 20, then I had it tried with BiPAP and they still ran the pressure way too high. After a lengthly discussion with the doctor, he didn't understand why they did this, when the effectiveness tapered off after 15 or so, and, at pressures that are too high, Central Apnea events start to occur.

Talk to your doctor about an auto-titrating machine - it will automatically vary the pressure. Many sleep centers don't even have them. These days it's up tot he patients to educate themselves because a lot of the time, the doctors and other staff just have too many patients to deal with everyone on an individual basis (like they should).
Sue,

My 17 year old son just finished his CPAP tritation a few nights ago. I had this big speech that I had planned out but I did not have to use it. My son jumped at the opportunity to improve his overall health because he was tired of being constantly tired. He is a great young man who goes to high school, works part-time at a local grocery and has been a youth league bowler for three years.

How many "episodes" did your son have during the initial sleep study? My son had 23. I personally use a bi-pap with nose pillows. I was having 56 "episode" per hour.

If your son was prescribed a CPAP machine by a doctor, then that is what he should use. It seems like he just doesn't want to use the machine. True, they do take some getting use to. However, with sleep apnea there is no easy way out. The mouth guards may work with very mild sleep apnea. Before going that route, the doctor that performed the sleep apnea study should be consulted. Sleep apnea is very serious and should not be taken lightly. Lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices, and/or surgery are used to treat sleep apnea. Currently, there are no medicines to treat sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea, talk to your doctor or sleep specialist about the treatment options that are most appropriate for your specific condition.

Lifestyle changes and/or mouthpieces may be enough to relieve mild sleep apnea. People who have moderate or severe sleep apnea may need breathing devices or surgery.

Information not intended as medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder you should seek care from a qualified professional.
Clearly, CLEARLY, something else has to be developed. Right now we have a manual typewriter. What we need is the "internet". In other words, there are SO,SO,SO many of us who have issues with masks - surely there is a smart individual out there who can come up with something to help. Many would undergo surgery if it meant they would not have to wear the mask and have the 'MACHINE" as part of their bedroom decor! But the surgeries I have heard of so far are not helpful for those who have real OSA. We, of course, have not been given any "grants" or incentives to come up with something - so we continue to trudge along with our "manual typewriters". June (Ron's wife)

As to the 17 yr. old - think back, way back. What would you have felt like having to wear one of those!!!! Most teenagers think they are invincible anyway, and OSA is something you can't really SEE, so its hard to them to grasp that they could DIE from this. They just don't think that way - especially BOYS!! hehehe
Although I was only diagnosed with sleep apnea a year ago... and have used an APAP device since with very positive results... I endured it for many years undiagnosed. During this period I was aware that I slept very much better when I was fit and within my recommended weight range... if I put on as little as 5kg my sleep immediately suffered. You don't say anything about your son's weight but if he is overweight, then losing weight may be an easy way to significant improvement in his sleep pattern.
There are appliances that can attach to certain types of CPAP and nasal pillow delivery systems- my first thought is to have a thorough oro-pharyngeal examination by an ENT physician, Pulmonologist, and/or a qualified dentist who is knowledgible about oro-pharyngeal anatomy. Your son's skeletal anatomy must be evaluated as well as his soft tissue anatomy- oft times there are underlying circumstances that may lead adolescents to have clinical symptoms of sleep apnea.
I think it's not as simple with a 17 year old ....there are so many other issues that complicate it..identity..self image ..invincibility...He may need to explore what it means to him as well as explore some of the excellent alternatives that have already been suggested.
Alison C. Emann said:
Please tell your son that he has a chance now to save his brain cells.

You have never been a 17-year old boy.

I have.

Forget the brain cells comment.

Whisper into his ear, "Erectile dysfunction."

Compliant he will be. :)

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