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For milder cases of sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. If these measures don't improve your signs and symptoms or if your apnea is moderate to severe, a number of other treatments are available. Certain devices can help open up a blocked airway. In other cases, surgery may be necessary.

For obstrctive sleep apnea treatment therapies include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A CPAP is a face mask that delivers air pressure that is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring. There is also bilevel positive airway pressure masks (BPAP) are available. These provide more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale. People also experiment with oral appliances that adjust your jaw and can make breathing more continuous which can be obtained from dentists. People with central sleep apnea also us CPAP and BPAP. A newer device called an adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) learns your normal breathing pattern and stores the information in a built-in computer. After you fall asleep, the machine uses pressure to normalize your breathing pattern and prevent pauses in your breathing. Sometimes central sleep apnea can be caused by heart or neuromuscular disorders and treating those conditions can eliminate central sleep apnea. Using supplemental oxygen while you sleep may help if you have central sleep apnea. Various forms of oxygen are available as well as different devices to deliver oxygen to your lungs.

The goal of surgery for sleep apnea is to remove excess tissue from your nose or throat that may be vibrating and causing you to snore, or that may be blocking your upper air passages and causing sleep apnea. This is most effective for obstructive sleep apnea. Surgeries includes uvulopalatropharyngoplasty (UPPP) in which the doctor removes tissue for the rear of your mouth and top of your throat usually removing your tonsils and adenoids too. This procedure does not always cure obstructive sleep apnea because the blockage may be lower down in your throat. Maxillomandibular advancement is a procedure where the jaw is moved forward from the remainder of the face bones so the space behind the tongue and soft palate is enlarged making obstruction less likely. If all other treatments failed and you have sever sleep apnea you may need a tracheostomy. A surgeon makes an incision in your neck and inserts a metal or plastic tube through which you breathe. You may keep it covered during the day and uncover it at night to ensure an air passageway to your lungs.

Mayoclinic:Treatment and Drugs

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