What are the treatments?
What are the different options of treatment?
If you’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), it’s reassuring to know that it’s a common and treatable condition.
There are a number of ways to treat it which reduce and control the symptoms. In some cases, this may require lifelong treatment.
Here are the main treatment options. Ask your doctor to suggest the most suitable one for you according to the severity of the disease and your personal medical context.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment (1) for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
How does it work?
You wear a mask during sleep which is connected to a flow generator that provides a continuous supply of ambient air and keeps your airway open. A humidifier is sometimes used to avoid possible side effects such as a sore throat and nasal dryness (2).
Why should I use it?
CPAP could be uncomfortable to use at first and you may be tempted to stop using it. But if you keep using it regularly - a minimum of 4 consecutive hours every day - , you’ll soon get used to it and your quality of life should improve vastly (2). CPAP reduces snoring and tiredness and also helps to reduce the risk of many long-term health conditions like hypertension(3) or type 2 diabetes(4).
Other possible treatments
Before treatment, your doctor will advise you to make changes to your lifestyle.
To reduce the risk of sleep apnoea, it could be beneficial to(2):
· Lose weight
· Stop or reduce smoking
· Reduce alcohol consumption, particularly before bed
· Avoid sedative medications and sleeping pills
· Sleep on your side and not on your back.