Treatment is based on your medical history, physical examination, and results of polysomnography. If you have mild obstructive sleep apnea, initial treatment may include avoiding sleeping on your back, losing weight, or quitting smoking. Dental appliances that reposition the jaw and tongue help patients with mild sleep apnea or snoring but no apnea.
If you have severe sleep apnea, the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system - something like a jet pilot can wear - is a commonly used prescription drug. The CPAP delivers air through a small mask that covers the nose, and constant pressure keeps the airway open, which prevents snoring and episodic apnea. If the patient is difficult to tolerate CPAP, surgery can also eliminate sleep apnea symptoms; but the drug is generally ineffective.
