OSA Treatment

Physical intervention

The most widely used current therapeutic intervention is positive airway pressure whereby a breathing machine pumps a controlled stream of air through a mask worn over the nose, mouth, or both. The additional pressure splints or holds open the relaxed muscles, just as air in a balloon inflates it.

A second type of physical intervention, a Mandibular advancement splint (MAS), is sometimes prescribed for mild or moderate sleep apnea sufferers.

Pharmaceuticals

There are no effective drug-based treatments for obstructive sleep apnea that have FDA approval.

Surgical intervention

A number of different surgeries are available to improve the size or tone of a patient’s airway.

Positional treatments

Many people benefit from sleeping at a 30 degree elevation of the upper body or higher, as if in a recliner. Doing so helps prevent the gravitational collapse of the airway.