Current Treatments for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea can be treated successfully in a variety of ways, depending on the severity of the condition and the cause of the patient’s apnea episodes.

Since the root cause of sleep apnea in many people is being overweight, losing weight, even as little as 10 percent of body weight, can help alleviate the condition. Dental appliances fitted by a dentist or orthodontist have also helped some people by repositioning the lower jaw and tongue to help keep the airway open.

But many cases of sleep apnea require more extensive treatment. The standard treatment for most cases of obstructive sleep apnea is nasal continuous positive airway pressure, or nasal CPAP. In this therapy, patients use a medical device consisting of an air blower connected by a tube to a face mask. Patients wear the mask while sleeping, and the air blower forces air into the nasal passages to keep the airway open during sleep. CPAP does require effort on the part of the patient, but when used successfully, it can effectively treat sleep apnea and reduce the risk of complications such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Surgical procedures are also available to treat sleep apnea. In some cases, doctors will advise removing tonsils, adenoids, nasal polyps, or other growths blocking the airway. In other cases, patients may require surgery to correct structural deformities, such as a deviated septum. This procedure, known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP, is successful in about 30 percent to 60 percent of patients. The treatment of last resort for severe, life-threatening sleep apnea is a tracheostomy.