Treatments

There are several, non-intrusive options for effectively treating sleep apnea:

1. Weight loss – as snoring related sleep apnea can often be caused by excess weight, losing even a few pounds can successfully improve breathing during sleep.
2. CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment has patients wear a light mask over the nose while sleeping. This mask is connected to an air compressor that forces air through the nose and into the airway, in order to help the patient maintain continuous and uninterrupted breathing. CPAP treatment is offered to any patient with an index of 15 or higher, although over time, approximately 50% of patients discontinue this treatment, due to the inconvenience of wearing a mask and having an air compressor near the bed.
3. Oral Device – as a treatment for benign snoring, a customized oral device is used to prop the airway open by moving the jaw, tongue, and soft palate forward, thus keeping the patient's airway open and helping to effectively reduce apneal events. This small and unobtrusive device has been well received by patients and has proven to be effective.