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Sleep Disorder Information :: Sleep Apnea Treatment Options The type of treatment options recommended vary greatly based on the overall severity of sleep apnea; one treatment option is not necessarily right for everyone. At MSDC, we have the highest trained staff to treat this condition. Please view our Sleep Services to see how. Common treatment options include: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) CPAP is the most common and the most effective treatment for sleep apnea regardless of severity. CPAP works through gently pushing a specific amount of air pressure into the airway to create an “air split” of sorts to hold the airway open. The only liability of trying CPAP is the time necessary for adapting to CPAP. There are several types of CPAP machines and many different types of masks so a relatively comfortable CPAP mask can usually be found for most people. About 75% of patients trying CPAP are able to adapt and obtain excellent improvements in symptoms, often within 1-2 weeks. Oral Appliance or Mouth Guard Patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea may be good candidates for this type of device. An oral appliance works through manually moving the lower jaw (mandible) forward a few millimeters to increase the diameter of the airway. Advantages include ease of use, while disadvantages include moderate efficacy, possible jaw (TMJ) pain, changes in bite, and excessive salivation. Surgery Common airway problems that may be corrected to improve sleep apnea include enlarged tonsils or adenoids (very common in children), nasal polyps, deviated septum (often from a broken nose), elongated uvula, and long soft palate. Overall, research suggests that surgery improves sleep for approximately 50% of patients. Common side effects can be changes in ones voice quality, regurgitation of liquid up the nose when swallowing, temporary severe throat pain, excessive bleeding and infection Over the Counter Sleep Apnea Treatments Unfortunately, NONE of the products sold over the counter as a remedy for snoring or sleep apnea have any data to suggest they work. At most, they can produce subjective improvement in snoring intensity however they can NOT treat sleep apnea. View the report from the AASM Clinical Practice Review Committee on nonprescription treatments. General Measures
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