Treatment Overview

Treatment for obstructive sleep apnea may include:

• Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight. For more information, see Home Treatment.
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). For more information, see Other Treatment.
• Oral breathing devices that you wear at night.
• Nasal disks that attach to the outside of your nose and may help keep your airways open while you sleep.
• Medicine to help you stay awake during the day. For more information, see Medications.
• Surgery. For more information, see Surgery.

Your doctor will probably have you try lifestyle changes and CPAP first. Surgery might be a first choice only if the sleep apnea is caused by a blockage that is easily fixed.

Sleep Apnea: Should I Have Surgery?

You may need to be treated for other health problems before you are treated for sleep apnea. For example:

• People who also have inflammation of the nasal passages (rhinitis) may need to use nose spray to reduce the inflammation.
• People who have an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) need to take thyroid medicine.

If your sleep apnea gets worse, talk to your doctor:

• You may need another complete sleep study.
• You may need to adjust your CPAP machine.
• You may be able to take medicine to help you stay awake during the day.
• You may need treatment for problems that sleep apnea may cause, such as high blood pressure.

Treatment for children

Children have the same treatment options as adults. But surgery (removing tonsils or adenoids) typically is the first choice, because enlarged tonsils or adenoids cause most cases of sleep apnea in children. If surgery isn't possible or doesn't work, children are treated using CPAP.