Sleep Apnea Health Center

Sleep Apnea Treatments

Sleep apnea treatments range from things you can do at home, such as losing weight or changing sleep positions, to surgery.

Treating Sleep Apnea at Home

In mild cases of sleep apnea, you may be able to treat it by changing your behavior, such as:

• Losing weight
• Avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills
• Changing sleep positions to improve breathing
• Stopping smoking. Smoking can increase the swelling in the upper airway, which may worsen both snoring and apnea.
• Avoiding sleeping on your back

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

Continuous positive airway pressure -- also called CPAP -- is a treatment in which a mask is worn over the nose and/or mouth while you sleep. The mask is hooked up to a machine that delivers a continuous flow of air into the nose. This air flow helps keep the airways open so that breathing is regular. CPAP is considered by many experts to be the most effective treatment for sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea and Dental Devices

Dental devices can be made that help keep the airway open during sleep. Such devices can be specifically designed by dentists with special expertise in treating sleep apnea.

Surgery for Sleep Apnea

If you have a deviated nasal septum, enlarged tonsils, or a small lower jaw with an overbite causing the throat to be too narrow, surgery may be needed to correct sleep apnea.

The most commonly performed types of surgery for sleep apnea include:

• Nasal surgery: Correction of nasal problems such as a deviated septum.
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP): A procedure that removes soft tissue on the back of the throat and palate, increasing the width of the airway at the opening of throat.
• Mandibular maxillar advancement surgery: Surgery to correct certain facial problems or throat obstructions that contribute to sleep apnea.

Other Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea

There are minimally invasive office procedures that reduce and stiffen the soft tissue of the soft palate. While these procedures have been effective in treating snoring, their effectiveness in treating sleep apnea in the long term isn't known.