RUTH PEARSON
THE USE OF PROVENT IN
TREATING SLEEP APNEA
The most recommended treat-
ment plan for sleep apnea has
traditionally been the Contin-
uous Positive Airway Pressure
(CPAP) device. CPAP, like a
blower, inflates the collapsed
air passages by actively push-
ing in air. While CPAP has been
shown to improve the symp-
toms of sleep apnea, the ma-
chine is difficult to use. Many
users complain of dry nasal
passages, skin irritation, and
an inability to rest comfortably
with the face mask and tubes. er side-effects from using oral
appliances exclusively. In 2008,
the FDA approved the use of
Provent to treat sleep apnea.
It has been demonstrated to
be an effective standalone
treatement for OSA as well as a
desireable adjunct to oral ap-
pliance therapy (OAT) because
it addressees nasal airflow
which can potentially reduce
the degree of oral appliance
protrution. This may actually
increase OAT compliance and
effectiveness.
Given the effective but fre-
quently burdensome nature
of CPAP, many dentists pre-
scribe oral appliances as an
alternative form of treatment.
While many patients find oral
appliances to be less cumber-
some than the CPAP machine,
there are still some individuals
who experience pain and oth- Provent is a mesh valve which
resembles two small band-
aids. The device is placed in-
side each nostril with adhe-
sives. During inhalation while
sleeping, the microvalves open
up allowing air to freely flow
into the nasal passages. When
exhaling, the valve closes. This
closure produces resistance
and forces the residual air that
was recently inhaled to cycle
back to the airway passage. It
is the back pressure created
during exhaling which dilates
the muscles and keeps the air-
way from collapsing.
Even though Provent has prov-
en to be an effective device in
treating sleep apnea, its effica-
cy can be greatly improved by
using it in combination with an
oral appliance. While we will
later explore in greater detail
how Provent works as part of a
treatment plan, please feel free
to visit www.sleepwellrested.
com for more information.
Ruth Pearson
Ruth Pearson is an attorney who
lives in Philadelphia with her fam-
ily. She has practiced in the area
of workers’ compensation for
over twenty years. As a work-
ers’ compensation attorney, Ms.
Pearson has questioned numer-
ous medical professionals on the
mechanism of an injury sustained
as well as the best treatment plan
available. This work with injured
workers has led Ms. Pearson to
author a series of articles on the
use of Durable Medical Equip-
ment following an injury, sur-
gery or other medical diagnosis.