What is the most effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea?

Although CPAP is the most consistently successful and most commonly used method of treating obstructive sleep apnea, some people find the mask cumbersome, uncomfortable or loud. However, newer machines are smaller and less noisy than older machines and there are a variety of mask designs for individual comfort.

What is the gold standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea?

Areas covered: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is considered the gold standard therapy that delivers pressurized air into the upper airway to relieve obstruction during sleep. Although CPAP is an effective modality of treatment for OSA, adherence to therapy is highly variable.

What is the first line therapy for sleep apnea?

Background: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is typically recommended as first line therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, but the adherence rate of CPAP is problematic.

How can I fix sleep apnea without a CPAP machine?

If CPAP isn’t for you, a few other OSA treatment options include:

  1. an oral appliance.
  2. bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP)
  3. nasal valve therapy.
  4. lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking.
  5. surgery to fix an underlying cause of OSA.

Which is the best treatment option for sleep apnea?

Which sleep apnea treatment options for you? 1 1. Positive Airway Pressure Devices. Positive airway pressure machines, used with a variety of breathing masks, are the most widely used treatment for 2 2. Oral Appliances. 3 3. Neuro-stimulation Therapy. 4 4. Continued Excessive Daytime Sleepiness. 5 5. Weight Loss.

How often should you use OSA for sleep apnea?

Unfortunately, many studies of OSA set a relatively low bar for treatment adherence (many use a four-hour-per-night threshold), and do not necessarily take into account treatment efficacy (whether sleep apnea and related daytime symptoms persist despite treatment).

When to use continuous positive airway pressure for sleep apnea?

When sleep apnea is moderate or severe, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is considered the first-line treatment, and is the recommended treatment by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). CPAP, by eliminating snoring, breathing disturbances, and drops in oxygen saturation, can essentially normalize breathing during sleep.

Can a weight loss program help with sleep apnea?

Because obesity can swell tissues that cause obstructed breathing, which can cause sleep apnea. So, many doctors prefer to start with weight loss before moving on to more advanced treatment. Pro tips: There are hundreds of weight loss programs out there.