There may be one or several options for treating sleep apnea. Positive airway pressure is the gold standard therapy for sleep apnea. This is a non-invasive therapy which overcomes the upper airway collapsibility and obstruction with positive air pressure. Mandibular repositioning devices or oral appliances are another treatment option for patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea. This device is worn at night and helps keep the airway open by pushing the lower jaw forward. Patients who have tried PAP therapy and/or oral appliances but cannot tolerate these non-surgical treatments, may benefit from sleep apnea surgery. Sleep apnea surgery focuses on anatomic targets of upper airway narrowing or collapsibility. Common targets include a deviated nasal septum, an elongated soft palate, enlarged tonsils and/or a bulky base of tongue. Sleep surgery may require several staged procedures to achieve success. Additional surgical procedures for sleep apnea include jaw advancement surgery and Inspire therapy. A few patients may benefit from positional therapy (sleeping on their side) if their sleep apnea is mild, and their sleep study demonstrates that their sleep apnea resolves when on their side. Last but not least, some patients’ sleep apnea is correlated with being overweight. In those cases, weight loss can significantly improve or even cure their sleep apnea.
In addition to devices or surgery to treat sleep apnea, the upper airway patency should be optimized. Patients should avoid smoking which causes swelling in the upper airway, and maximize management of allergies, sinus disease and polyps.